Nilesh Cabral: Will investigate origin of tar balls on Goan beaches, request Centre to take action

PANAJI: Goa’s environment minister Nilesh Cabral is perturbed by “one of the worst occurrences of tarball deposits seen on Goa’s beaches in the last few decades”.

Cabral said that the state had tested the blackish deposits last year and they seemed to have originated from the rigs off Bombay High and by rogue oil tankers who illegally dump waste oil and grease products into the sea.

This year with the greatly reduced movement of oil tankers and barges, the tar deposits on beaches should have been much less, but they have exceeded all expectations, Cabral said.

Cabral said that the state is going to write to the Centre over the issue, as the state has little control nor can it take any action, over the source of origin of these tarballs.

He said the National Institute of Oceanography will be again requested to test the tarballs and tar deposits on the beaches to ascertain their origin and exact composition.

“We had complained to the Union Environment Minister last year, but as there is a new minister this year, my department will write to him as well,” Cabral said.

Cabral opined that similar tar deposits are occurring all along the Western coastline and said that the Union Environment Ministry should investigate this yearly occurrence and take remedial action.