Sea is safe for fishing and fishermen can venture out without any hassle, except for one localized area that is affected by drifting oil says top Coast Guard official.

Chennai: Blame game has begun between different agencies over the oil spill that is damaging marine ecology in Chennai coast line, some 32 km of its, after 20 MT oil leaked from a ship after a collision between two ships on Saturday last.

Even on seventh day, Chennai was fighting the oil slick with the help of Indian Coast Guard, Navy, fire department and municipal body workers, students and volunteers, who together pulled out some 72 tone of sludge. The total sludge estimated to have been generated since the oil slick of Saturday morning is some 116 tonne.

On Friday, even as the oil slick had reached beyond Thiruvanmiyur, from Ennore port, touching Marina and Beasant Nagar beaches too, the Indian Coast Guard and Kamarajar Port traded blame for the extent of the damage caused by the accident between two ships.

While Coast Guard maintained that it was the responsibility of the Kamarajar Port authorities, as they had initially reported a small leak of 2 MT, the port management said the responsibility for area beyond port premises was the responsibility of the coast guard.

Coast Guard official, S Paramesh said a lot of work was done and it could take few more days for the complete cleanup of the beaches of the sludge which is a mixture of oil, marine debris and water. –The actual leak as against the original report by the port authorities was ten times higher, the coast guard official said.

Two ships – MT Maple and MT Dawn Kanchipuram had collided on Saturday at 4 in the morning. MP Maple had offloaded its LPG consignment and was leaving when it dashed against incoming MT Dawn Kanchipuram. This ship was carrying a consignment of petrol and lubricants.

“Both the ships have been detained and secured at Kamarajar Port and inquiry is on,” said Kamarajar Port chairman cum managing director MA Bhaskarachar. The captains of the both the ships too have been detained as also the crew members.

The top port official however denied that there was any delay in response or action from the port.

“There was no oil spillage inside the port and this is my jurisdiction and I can speak only for the port area. Other areas are the responsibility of coast guard, the Kamarajar port official said.

“The Coast Guard helicopters are carrying out regular sorties for continuous monitoring of oil slick at sea and near coast. During sorties stagnated thick oil slick about 100 meters wide near Ennore chimney and 50×50 meters patch was observed near Kasimedu Harbour,” the Coast Guard said in an official statement. The Coast Guard has sent ICGS Varad along with integrated helicopter with pollution control equipment to clear the oil slick, it said.

The cleanup operations could be carry on for another two days, said an official on the spot.

Commander, Coast Guard Region (East) Inspector General Rajan Bargotra declared that the sea was free and safe from oil spill and fishermen can venture for fishing without any fear, except for one localized area onshore near Ram Krishna nagar Kuppam, the most affected area.