Coast Guard links oil spill mid-sea to beach pollution

Oil spill washed by vessels in the ocean coupled with industrial waste immersed mid-sea contribute in a major way for pollution on the beaches, a senior Coast Guard official said. "Discharging oil mid-sea and dumping industrial waste in the ocean has added in a major way for constant pollution on the shores," Commandant A K Saxena, station in-charge, Indian Coast Guard, told reporters this morning.

Indian Coast Guard in association with Tourism Department, the Corporation of the City of Panjim and school children today as a part of their international beach cleanliness drive had taken up the task to clear the waste from the State's beaches. "The industrial waste when immersed in the water converts into different hazardous chemicals which are washed on shore," Saxena added.

He even said that constant oil spillages in the water leads to the formation of tar balls on the surface of the beaches.
He stated that every year Coast Guard notices increased existence of dead fishes on the shore, which are considered as a result of climatic changes in the sea. Saxena cleared that the increasing marine pollution also increases the workload on the task force. "It needs lot of resources to clear it off and it also adds up to the patrolling duties," he stated.
Saxena informed reporters that during last ten years of their beach cleanliness drive, they have noticed that the garbage is pilling up every year. "Gutkha packets, cigarette remains, plastic bags and leftover eatables make up for the major garbage on the shore," he said.