Mumbai two month oil spill not yet cleaned up

Around 30 acres of mangroves have been destroyed in Mumbai after crude oil leaked from an ageing pipeline, according to the Mumbai Mirror. The leak has also led to fish dying along the eastern coast of the area, which has drastically affected local fishermen.

A "keyhole" leak occurred in a pipe near the Mahul jetty, which caused crude to spill over a large area. The pipeline is used to carry crude furnace oil to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited refinery in nearby Chembur. 

The leak has resulted in between 20 and 30 acres of mangroves being damaged along the two kilometre area of coast, reports the news provider. It is thought that the mangroves have been completely destroyed by the leak, which might also make it difficult to reuse the land for the same growing purposes. Damage may also spread to other areas if clean-up efforts are not successful.

The damage has also affected the livelihoods of local fishermen as oil that leaked into the sea has killed off much of the fish stock, reducing income to around 50 per cent of what it was two months ago, according to the news provider. It is not clear how long the effects will be felt by those that rely on fishing for their income.

Repairs were performed to the pipeline, which, according to the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), was only a "pinhole" leak. The work occurred on October 29th, after the leak had been evident for over two months. The MbPT said to the Mumbai Mirror that no action had been taken by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board during this period.

Clean-up operations are being delayed as companies have yet to come forward and claim responsibility for the leak. It is reported that as no efforts are being made to clean up the crude oil, it is spreading further afield and affecting more of the environment. According to the news provider, fishermen have reported that as well as damage to the fish stock in the area, the oil also causes skin complaints upon contact, although this is not confirmed.