Mangroves in Mumbai will be clean in two weeks, says TERI

The mangrove stretch along the 70 km coastline of Mumbai, which has been affected by the oil spill, will be cleaned up within two weeks with the use of the oil zapper technology.

Banwari Lal, director of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) who discovered the technology, will be heading the clean-up operation. He has teamed up with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for the purpose. A senior scientist from TERI and MPCB officials have finalised nine sites where the bioremediation process will be conducted.

"We can clean up to 90% of the oil spill on mudflats during low tide. We will finalise the site for pilot operation on Tuesday,’’ said Rajiv Chhibber, spokesperson for TERI.

He said each site would need about 2,500 kg of oil zapper. The total requirement for the clean-up activity would be around 15,000 kg, he added.

According to Chhibber, the process involves cleaning up the oil slick during low tides – between 6.30pm and 3am. "When the water recedes, we will use hose pumps to clean the mangroves and also rub the oil off them manually.

“The accumulated water with oil will be streamlined to an area artificially dug up and lined with polythene sheets. The oil zapper would be sprinkled in the pit and within two months, microbes will digest the oil and the water and sand will emerge clean," said Chhibber.

However, the entire process will require huge amount of skilled resource. "We are trying to tie up with various NGOs and colleges," he said.

TERI has conducted similar operations in Gujarat, Bombay High and Cochin earlier.