Oil spill off India's southern coast leaves fishermen stranded, marine life impacted

India's southern coast witnessed a massive oil spill on Saturday when two oil tankers collided at Ennore Port, north of Chennai city. Subsequently, the area has been enveloped by over 20 tonnes of oil and 40 tonnes of toxic substances keeping local fishermen at bay.

Fishermen around Marina Beach, which is considered the world's second longest urban beach, fear venturing into the sea because crude oil contains carcinogens and the port authorities haven't provided them with protective gear, The News Minute reported.

They, along with the coastal guards, have been stranded in waist-deep black sludge all day while using buckets to remove the oil, the report added.

"The biggest source of toxins is through inhalation and crude oil has benzene, which is a carcinogen," explained an environmentalist.

Even locals are shying away from buying seafood as a result of the incident. Many endangered Olive Ridley turtles have washed up dead on the shore, the New Indian Express reported.

Only a handful of boats could be seen at the Marina as fishermen found it to tough wade through the thick oil deposits.

Volunteers aiding the manual cleaning have reported irritation in the eyes and infections in the skin. The president of a local housing society claimed to have "developed boils all over" his hands. "The port authorities did not issue any warnings about the dangers posed but encouraged people to join the clean up," he added.

Oil spills are rather common in Indian seas. One of the worst was reported in late 2013 when a gas pipeline off the Mumbai coast had leaked and more than 1,000 liters of crude oil washed into the sea.

In 2010, two merchant ships collided off the Mumbai coast again, spilling over 800 tons of oil into the sea and destroying close to a million mangroves along the coastline.

It is reported that scientists will soon be studying the ecological impact of the Ennore Oil Spill.