India sends help to Mauritius after grounded oil ship splits in two
Word by ITV News journalist Sanjay Jha
India has sent equipment and personnel to help Mauritius contain an oil spill, after a Japanese bulk carrier ran aground last month, India’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned and Panama-registered ship that was travelling from China to Brazil ran aground on a reef at Pointe d’Esny in the south-eastern part of Mauritius on July 25.
A crack in the ship’s hull caused it to leak in the past week.
The ship was carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil, of which more than 1,000 tonnes has already leaked into the turquoise water, threatening to ruin its coral reefs, protected lagoons and shoreline — vital for the nation’s main industry, tourism.
In a statement Indian foreign ministry said more than 30 tonnes of technical equipment and material on board an aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been sent to the island country “to supplement the country’s ongoing oil spill containment and salvage operations.”
“The specialized equipment, consisting of Ocean Booms, River Booms, Disc Skimmers, Heli Skimmers, Power packs, Blowers, Salvage barge and Oil absorbent Graphene pads and other accessories, is specifically designed to contain the oil slick, skim oil from water, and assist in clean up and salvage operations”.
The impact of the oil spill is gruesome.
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation off the African coast, declared a state of emergency nearly two weeks after the shipwreck.
“An oil spill could devastate Mauritius' finest coral reefs and marine life and could also impact neighbouring islands and their marine life, including that of the Maldives, as the ocean systems are connected through currents,” Vardhan Patankar, marine biologist working with Wildlife Conservation Society-India, said.
There is rising anger among local people over the government’s handling of the crisis.
Locals have taken matters into their own hands and have launched an effort to contain the oil spill.
But the Mauritian government has told volunteers to stop and leave any efforts to officials.
Ariel Saramandi, Mauritian writer and essayist tweeted “There are numerous posts on Facebook reporting that people have felt threatened when they've criticised the government over its handling of the crisis. So we're all closely monitoring the situation”.
Despite this, people and local organisations are carrying on their cleaning work.
Volunteers and workers have removed about 460 tonnes of fuel oil from the Indian Ocean and the coast of Mauritius since July 25.