Indian Coast Guard removing oil slick in Lanka

An Indian Coast Guard vessel is clearing the Koggala coastline of an oil slick from a sinking Bangladeshi vessel, reports PK Balachandran.

An Indian Coast Guard vessel with a complement of divers is currently engaged in clearing the Koggala coastline in south Sri Lanka of an oil slick from a sinking Bangladeshi vessel, Indian official sources said.

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The Bangladeshi vessel "Amnet Sha" going from Yangon to Mumbai with a load of teak, had sunk off Koggala near Galle, on Thursday, causing a 200 metre slick which was threatening the beach resort of Koggala.

The Sri Lankan navy based in nearby Galle, rescued the 34 member crew but international help had to be sought to tackle the oil slick.

At the request of the Sri Lankan government, India promptly sent a Coast Guard vessel with a team of divers to clear the mess.

Safeguarding the marine environment is one of the tasks of the Indian Coast Guard.

India had cleaned up several habours in Sri Lanka, including the one in Galle, when the tsunami hit the Sri Lankan coastline in December 2004.