KristineCharlton at 05:19, 25 November 2025

2025-11-25T05:19:51Z

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{{Short description|Oil spill in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox oil spill
| name =2017 Ennore oil spill or the Chennai oil spill
| image =
| image_size =
| image_caption =Spilled oil on the shoreline of the famous place near Chenna, Ennore
| location =[[Ennore]], [[Chennai]]
| coordinates = {{coord|13.228166|N|80.363333|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Trajectory of Oil Spill |date=28 January 2017|url=http://www.incois.gov.in/WEBSITE_FILES/OSF_FILES/forecast/Bulletins/Bulletinonoil_spill_trajectory.pdf|publisher=Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)|accessdate=7 February 2017}}</ref>
| spill_date = 28 January 2017
| cause = Collision between the LPG tanker and oil tanker
| operator =
| casualties = None
| area =
| coast = [[Coromandel Coast]]
}}
The '''2017 Ennore oil spill''' occurred outside the [[Kamarajar Port]] in [[Ennore]] near [[Chennai]] in [[Tamil Nadu]], India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/Pollution-central-the-Ennore-oil-spill/article17124053.ece|title=Pollution central: in thEnnore oil spill|date=31 January 2017|work=The Hindu|access-date=27 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.uniindia.com/two-oil-ships-off-ennore-port-indian-coast-guard-on-alert/india/news/763312.html|title=Two oil ships collide off Ennore port, Indian Coast Guard on alert|date=28 January 2017|newspaper=United News of India (UNI)|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> The spill occurred on 28 January 2017 when an outbound empty tanker ''BW Maple'' collided with an inbound loaded oil tanker ''Dawn Kanchipuram'' at 04:00 local time.

==Location==
The collision occurred two [[nautical mile]]s off Kamarajar Port in [[Ennore]], a natural harbour about 20 km north of [[Chennai]] on the [[Coromandel Coast]]. The [[Ennore Creek]] (swampy backwater traversing over 13 km between [[Pulicat Lake]] in the north and [[Kosasthalaiyar River]] in the south and emptying into the [[Bay of Bengal]]) separates the town of Ennore from the Government held public company Kamarajar Port.

==Timeline==
The two ships collided at 4 am on 27 January 2017. In the morning, the Kamarajar port authority released a press statement that there is no damage to the environment and no casualty or injury to persons. It also indicated that both vessels are safely anchored and the extents of damage to the vessels are under assessment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ennoreport.gov.in/press_note_jan28_2017.pdf|title=Press Note – Kamarajar Port|date=28 January 2017|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> By afternoon, oil spill sheen was visible with dead turtles being washed ashore and residents of nearby coastal areas reporting a strong smell of oil.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Chennai-oil-spill-dooms-turtles/article17113513.ece|title=Chennai oil spill dooms turtles|date=29 January 2017|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> The [[Indian Coast Guard]] confirmed they were assessing the situation and providing assistance required. The Coast Guard also said that the spill would be contained in less than 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2017/jan/29/oil-spill-across-kamarajar-port-after-ships-collide-off-ennore-port-1564634.html|title=Oil spill across Kamarajar Port after ships collide off Ennore Port|last=Shivakumar|first=C|date=29 January 2017|newspaper=The New Indian Express (TNIE)|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref>

Investigation into the cause of the collision began on 29 January 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98Misjudgment-caused-collision-of-ships%E2%80%99/article17113500.ece|title=Misjudgment caused collision of ships|last=Anand|first=N|date=29 January 2017|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> On 30 January 2017, the Kamarajar Port released a note claiming that there is no major damage to the environment or injury to persons and some sheens of oil traces were observed. It also stated that oil booms was deployed as a precautionary measure around the vessel Dawn Kanchipuram to contain seepage if any. The ship was subsequently brought into the port and berthed it after its cargo was discharged and vehicle inspections for damage assessment did not yield any evidence of an oil spill barring 'some sheens of oil traces', the press note said. The fishing community claimed that hundreds of fish had died and that they were unable to go for fishing because the spillage had come up to the shore.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Oil-pollution-threatens-Chennai%E2%80%99s-beaches-too/article17118935.ece|title=Oil pollution threatens Chennai’s beaches too|last=Ramakrishnan|first=Deepa H.|work=The Hindu|access-date=27 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newstodaynet.com/chennai/dead-turtles-fish-wash-ashore-after-collision|title=Dead turtles, fish wash ashore after collision|date=30 January 2017|newspaper=News Today|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208035814/http://newstodaynet.com/chennai/dead-turtles-fish-wash-ashore-after-collision|archive-date=8 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Containment and cleanup==
On 31 January 2017, the [[district collector]] of [[Tiruvallur district|Thiruvallur]] confirmed in a press meet that an oil spill took place after the incident on 28 January with [[Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board]] and the Fisheries Department being deployed to look into the situation. Manual efforts to remove the oil spill were made by the [[Indian Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], in addition to helicopter sorties to monitor the spread and assist in its removal. Three heavy buckets were used for removing the oil spill by [[Chennai Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/oil-spill-in-chennai-sea-being-cleared-official-866530-2017-01-31|title=Oil spill in Chennai sea being cleared: Official|date=31 January 2017|newspaper=India Today via PTI|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> On 5 February, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu [[O. Panneerselvam]] visited the site and declared that 90% of the clean up work was over with the remainder expected to be completed in a couple of days. He claimed tests had shown that the spill had not affected marine life, with fish safe for consumption, and also promised livelihood relief to the local fishing community.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2017/feb/05/90-percent-spill-cleared-fish-safe-for-consumption-cm-panneerselvam-on-chennai-oil-spill-1567244.html|title=90 percent spill cleared, fish safe for consumption: CM Panneerselvam on Chennai oil spill|date=5 February 2017|newspaper=The New Indian Express (TNIE)|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> On 6 February, it was revealed that the viscous heavy oil being cleaned was [[Bunker fuel|heavy bunker fuel]] caused by a rupture in the fuel tanks of the oil tanker ''Dawn Kanchipuram'' and not from its cargo.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/oil-spill-outbound-ship-didnt-heed-pilots-warning-of-collision/articleshow/57011581.cms|title=Oil spill: Outbound ship didn't heed pilot's warning of collision|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref>

As on 7 February, the efforts to manage the oil spill had yielded approximately 160 [[metric tonnes]] of sludge,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/chennai-oil-spill-tamil-nadu-cm-promises-normalcy-soon-844239-2017-02-05|title=Chennai oil spill: Tamil Nadu CM promises normalcy soon|date=5 February 2017|website=indiatoday.intoday.in/videos|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> removed by over 5700 people.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/chennai-oil-spill-health-hazards-of-this-ecological-nightmare-are-monumental-3270568.html|title=Chennai oil spill: Health hazards of this ecological nightmare are monumental|date=7 January 2017|newspaper=Firstpost.com|access-date=7 January 2017|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/chennai-oil-spill-sludge-cleaning-efforts-move-at-snails-pace-as-state-depts-pass-buck-to-each-other-3269966.html|title=Chennai oil spill: Sludge-cleaning efforts move at snail's pace as state depts pass buck to each other|date=7 February 2017|newspaper=Firstpost.com|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

In February 2017, the [[Indian Coast Guard]] said that approximately an area of {{convert|34000|m2}} was affected.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Thangavelu|first1=Dharani|title=Chennai oil spill: 72 tonnes of oil sludge collected, says Coast Guard|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/l4mQHpv2BgWmVssxxvSpKP/Chennai-oil-spill-72-tonnes-of-oil-sludge-collected-says-C.html|website=Livemint|accessdate=2 March 2017|date=3 February 2017}}</ref> He stated that 95 per cent of the spill was towards north of the [[Chennai Port]] with sludge accumulating over a length of {{convert|800|m}} spread across 11 spots. He added that the shores of the city's [[Marina Beach]] suffered minimum impact and that the shoreline of the suburb [[Tiruvallur]] had oil accumulation over a {{convert|3|km}} stretch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chennai oil spill: Men and machines fight black wave|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/men-and-machines-fight-black-wave/articleshow/56900838.cms|website=The Times of India|accessdate=2 March 2017|date=2 February 2017}}</ref> The volume of the spill was estimated at {{convert|9.9|e6USgal|m3}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chennai Oil Spill|url=http://oil.piratelab.org/news/chennai-oil-spill/|publisher=oil.piratelab.org|accessdate=2 March 2017|date=7 February 2017}}</ref>

==Criticism==
The Government of Tamil Nadu was criticized for its failures in [[crisis communication]] and [[Contingency management|contingency response]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/web-edits/oil-spill-were-well-prepared-on-paper-but-sluggish-response-made-preparedness-a-joke-4505901/|title=Oil Spill: We’re well prepared on paper but sluggish response made preparedness a joke|last=Mazoomdaar|first=Jay|date=3 February 2017|newspaper=The Indian Express|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Disasters in India in 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ennore oil spill}}
[[Category:2017 disasters in India]]
[[Category:2017 in the environment]]
[[Category:2017 industrial disasters]]
[[Category:Environment of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:2010s in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:January 2017 in India]]
[[Category:Oil spills in India]]
[[Category:Disasters in Tamil Nadu]]

2017 Ennore oil spill - Revision history

KristineCharlton at 05:19, 25 November 2025