Pavit’s crater will not cause permanent damage to shore

The large crater that merchant tanker (MT) Pavit left behind at Juhu beach will not cause permanent damage to the shore, said scientists. HT reports.

The large crater that merchant tanker (MT) Pavit left behind at Juhu beach will not cause permanent damage to the shore, said scientists.

HT Image

The 999-tonne ship stranded at Juhu beach since July 31 was towed away on Monday

“The crater will get filled with sand when the tides come along. Besides, the sand at the inter-tidal area is loose and therefore the cavity formed will be filled in a few weeks,” said SN Gajbhiye, in charge, National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai. “There is no ecological harm done.”

Lifeguards on Juhu beach are making sure that visitors do not venture into the sea from the side where the ship left the depression on the beach. “Thankfully, the crater is at the end of the beach which makes it less likely for people to walk up till there to get into the waters,” said Hansel D’Souza, a Juhu resident.

Even as lifeguards checked visitors from venturing near the crater left by MT Pavit, the clean up of oil spills on the shores at Juhu, Gorai, Madh and Aksa continued. No fresh oil spills have been found on the city’s beaches from merchant vessel (MV) Rak that sunk 25 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast on August 4.

On Tuesday, a very minor oil leak was found, restricted to one nautical mile of the wreck site with a thin layer of oil visible up to three nautical miles.

The ship was carrying 60,054 metric tonne of coal, 290 metric tonnes of furnace oil, 50 metric tonnes of diesel oil and four tonnes of lubricating oil.

“There have been no reports of fresh incidents of oil reaching the shores. The minor leak has been restricted to the deep sea,” said YB Sontake, regional officer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

“While there is no oil coming on to the shore, we want to ensure that the shores are free of even the tiny oil spots.”