After reviewing the country's preparedness to handle oil spills, the ministry of shipping has decided to outsource all future clean-up operations to global agencies with expertise in the area.
"We are most likely going to outsource it, as it is not possible for ports to buy all the equipment which runs into several hundred crores. We are planning to authorise the ports to outsource the job of clean up to people who have prior experience in handling such cases," Rakesh Srivastava, joint secretary, shipping ministry said.
The ministry came to this conclusion after the government's disastrous experience in combating the spill from a damaged ship, MSC Chitra, at the mouth of Mumbai harbour.
"We are not equipped to handle an oil spill of even 700 tonnes," said a senior government official involved in the Mumbai clean-up operation. "The equipment needed for cleaning up the oil slick is very expensive and its maintenance is very difficult," he added.
The shipping ministry has created a contingency fund of Rs 17 crore for clean-up operations. The money has been collected by ports, which handle oil imports and exports, by charging 50 paise per tonne from oil passing through these ports.
