New Delhi: India’s flagship energy major and a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise on Sunday said that there has been no damage to either farmers or fishermen due to the minor oil spill near Uran beach, near Mumbai, recently.
 
“In the morning hours of 08 September 2023, a minor quantity of oil leaked from one of the crude oil storage tanks at ONGC Uran Plant. Due to heavy rains, the leaked oil entered the storm water drain channel. As the quantity of oil leakage from the plant area was minimal, the leaked oil got trapped between rocks on the beach with only traces reaching the shoreline,” said an official release.
 
Immediately, the Oil Spill Response (OSR) team from ONGC was deployed to avoid ingress of oil into the sea and cleaning of the shore line commenced on war footing, said an official.
 
“Due to heavy rains on the day of the incident and the beach being a rocky area, the cleaning took a lot of effort. Due to the ONGC team's timely and tireless efforts, the oil did not enter the sea and no damage to marine life is anticipated,” added the official.
 
Further, local villagers had taken an unauthorised water connection to their fields by breaching the storm water drain channel wall from the Plant for irrigation purposes. Due to this breach, a small quantity of oil entered only 4-5 paddy fields. The damage to paddy fields is also very limited. “None of the fishermen have suffered any loss due to the small oil spill, as it on the rocky part of the beach,” said the release.
 
Prompt and proactive actions by ONGC for cleaning of oil from the beach and drain channels has led to an early restoration, which is now nearing completion. /BI/