Tar Balls seen on Panambur Beach a Threat to Sensitive Marine Ecosystem
Mangaluru: In the pre-monsoon and during monsoon seasons (May to October) the brown, sticky and foul smelling tar balls reaches the sea shores. Many beaches across the world and even the coastlines in India have been facing this acute problem. And these Tar balls pollute beaches and disturbs marine ecosystem. But What are Tar balls? As per sources, Tar balls or globs are oil residues made up of hydrocarbons. The type of hydrocarbons found in tar globs is same as that of the ones present in crude oil and petroleum products. Their size typically ranges from as small as a small coin to as big as 30 cm. Their reaching the shore makes the site of the serene beaches extremely unpleasant and filthy.
Tar ball pollution is a matter of concern not just because of the aesthetic point of view. Instead because their constituent chemicals ‘hydrocarbons’ are a threat to sensitive marine ecosystem such as molluscs and shrimps. Loss of these organisms may adversely affect fish that feed on them and may disturb the entire food chain. Tar globs harmful for the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem.
And such Tar Balls have been noticed since 22 April on the Panambur Sea shore, after two years of gap. And if you want to know, Where do Tar Balls on the Beaches come from? The reason behind this annual phenomenon could be the washing of the tanks of the ships and boats in the sea a few kilo metres offshore. The untreated oil coagulates in sea and forms tar balls. During the monsoon season some of it may reach to the shore due to monsoon winds. However, this is not the only reason behind the tar globs.
The substance resembling like black tar, found on the beaches in Panambur and Surathkal, sticks to the feet of those walking on the beach barefoot. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project Chairman Yathish Baikampady said.“These tar balls were getting deposited along the shore since April 22. According to information from fishermen, the incident was happening all along the Karnataka coast. Agencies concerned, including the Coast Guard, New Mangalore Port Trust and the Coastal Security Police, need to be alerted to contain this pollution. The tar ball deposition on the beaches is an annual phenomenon being witnessed during the peak of summer just before monsoon, since many years,”.
He further said, “A case of oil leakage or discharge from the foreign vessels arriving at New Mangaluru Port was suspected initially. If such pollution is not arrested, the same would affect beaches as well as fishermen. Though tar balls getting washed ashore during April/May until little later months, used to happen earlier too, it was not witnessed during the last two years.These tar balls are formed out of oil waste dumped by ships mid-sea when there is churning and pre-Monsoon winds. Even though ships are not supposed to dump oil waste in the sea and have to do the same at ports by paying a certain fee, but many are not adhering to the rules. They circumvent the mandatory provision and dump waste mid-sea. The concerned authorities should act, as the pollution would destroy marine flora and fauna,”. He added that he had written a letter to Deputy Commissioner on minimizing the damage to fishing and marine ecology, and that he had already appealed to the deputy commissioner on directing coast guards or pollution board officials to take remedial measures.
In the meantime, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil clarifying the issue with media had said, ” These tar balls on the beaches were not the result of oil spillage from the ships sailing in the sea. I have spoken to Deputy Inspector General S S Dasila, Commander, Coast Guard (Karnataka) as ICG is the nodal agency to look into the issue of oil spillage. I have also written a letter to the Indian Coast Guard commander. The ICG has been asked to sensitise all fishermen to intercept any huge chunk of oil particle found in the sea. It is a phenomenon which takes place across the Indian coast, including on Maharastra and Gujarat, during the season. There are possibilities of oil globules being carried by the currents, to the Indian Coast from other parts of the world”.
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board District Environmental Officer Rajashekhar Puranik has confirmed that the pollution was not due to the industrial affluent. The affluent discharge system and effluent treatment plant installed by MRPL, BSF and MSEZ were being continuously monitored by the Pollution Control Board through its website. Speaking to media, Shobendra Sasihithlu, president of Fishermen Cooperative Society, said it was a usual phenomenon, though not witnessed in the last couple of years. It affects fishing activities, he said adding that fishermen are now more concerned over drastic reduction in the catch since about two months.
