Work on checking oil spill from MV Black Rose, the sunken vessel, has taken off a day after the visit of the high-level expert team from the Centre.
The work has been awarded to J Enterprises and Divers Ltd, a Visakhapatnam-based agency, by the authorities of Paradeep Port Trust (PPT).
Sources said oil started oozing out from the vessel from September 21. Environmental experts had warned that oil leakage posed a threat to marine creatures as well as the ecology of Bay of Bengal.
Locals and fishermen said oil leakage would kill fishes and crabs along the Paradeep shore. They found a thick layer of greasy black dust on the beach.
Later the officials of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) visited the spot and warned of large scale oil spill from the vessel. OSPCB had directed the PPT authorities and the Indian Coast Guard to take precautionary measures to check environmental and marine pollution.
The vessel was loaded with 23, 847 tonnes of iron ore fines, 924 tonnes of furnace oil, 50 tonnes of diesel and 40 tonnes of grease.
Meanwhile, a five-member high-level expert team from the Union shipping ministry led by PVK Mohan, director general of shipping, visited Paradeep on Saturday to study the cause of sinking of Black Rose.