Context
Israel accuses Iran of the recent oil spill on its shore near the coasts of south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, calling this an act of environmental terrorism.
Concerns regarding oil spill
- Oil toxicity: Oil consists of many different toxic compounds, which can cause severe health problems like heart damage, stunted growth, immune system effects, and even death.
- Oiling: Oiling occurs when oil physically harms a plant or animal. Oil can coat a bird’s wings and leave it unable to fly or strip away the insulating properties of a sea otter’s fur, putting it at risk of
- Blocks Sunlight: Oil is generally translucent, shields the phytoplanktons from sunlight hence restricting them to perform autotrophism, this seriously disrupts the marine food chain and is a threat to biodiversity.
- Beach toxicity: Oil can form a mixture with sand which will threaten the organisms residing there and it also pollutes beaches, and the degradation of beaches will hurt tourism.
- Bioaccumulation: Predators that consume contaminated prey can be exposed to oil through ingestion and accumulate toxins in the food chain. Because oil contamination gives fish and other animals unpleasant tastes and smells, predators will sometimes refuse to eat their prey and will begin to starve.
- Coral Bleaching: The toxic hydrocarbons released from spilled oil will bleach the coral reefs and they will eventually die.
Response arrangements by India
- The Indian Coast Guard, part of the Ministry of Defence, is the designated national authority for oil spill response in Indian waters under the National Oil Spill-Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) promulgated in 1996 and last updated in 2014.
Technological advancement to deal with oil spill
Three different types of equipment—booms, skimmers, and sorbents—are commonly used to recover oil from the surface
- Booms: Booms are temporary floating barriers used to contain marine spills, protect the environment, and assist in recovery.
- Skimmers: A skimmer is a device for recovering spilled oil from the water's surface. Skimmers may be self-propelled, used from shore, or operated from vessels.
- Sorbents: Sorbents are materials that soak up liquids. They can be used to recover oil through the mechanisms of absorption, adsorption, or both.
