Bengal to frame ‘Oil Spill Disaster Plan’ to protect rivers, Bay of Bengal

Kolkata: The state government has decided to come up with ‘Oil Spill Disaster Management Plan’ to curb pollution of the Bay of Bengal and the rivers of the state in case of capsizing of any vessel loaded with oil. The plan will ensure immediate measures for preventing pollution due to oil spill. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has constituted a committee headed by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, along with secretaries of departments like the Disaster Management, Public Health Engineering, Fisheries, Irrigation and Waterways, Environment, Transport, Labour and Home in the government level, and representatives from the Indian Coast Guard, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port to look into this issue.

The committee held its first meeting at Nabanna on Friday, where the decision regarding framing of the Management Plan was taken. In recent times, there has been more than one incident of vessel capsize along the Bengal coastline, and concerns have been raised of pollution resulting from oil spill. The Chief Secretary also chaired a meeting with the district magistrates and gave directions for preventing illegal sand mining. He expressed his displeasure over the foundation of bridges becoming weak because of illegal sand extraction and did not rule out chances of collapse of some. He directed the district magistrates to take appropriate steps in this regard on a priority basis.