An oil spill has been reported in the coastal areas of Gulf of Khambhat following a rupture in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) pipeline near Bhadbhut village of the district, officials said yesterday.

“The rupture in ONGC’s pipeline was brought to our notice by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) yesterday. ONGC has been asked to take immediate steps to control the situation,” Bharuch Collector Avantika Singh told PTI.

She said the flow of oil in that line has already been stopped.

According to her, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was informed about the spillage, which undertook an aerial survey of the affected area using its advanced light helicopter ‘Dhruv’.

The ICG, in its aerial survey, found that the spill has spread in the area of 2-3 nautical miles in the sea in Gulf of Khambhat.

A Coast Guard officer said, “It could not use Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD), generally used to control oil spreads, as the area was confined and shallow.”

The ICG has advised the district administration to deploy mechanised boats so that they can create a churn around the oil-spilled region, which can break the oil into droplets, the officer further said.

Oil spill dispersant are a mixture of surfactants and solvents that break up an oil spill into droplets. By breaking it up, microbes and the environment can more easily biodegrade the oil.

The effect of the spill on the environment is yet to be ascertained, officials said.

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