Lanka can claim damages for oil spill

Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is in a position to claim damages up to Rs. 750 million from the shipping line and others responsible for the major oil spill off the Southern coast near the Galle port. It left a disastrous impact on marine life and livelihoods of hundreds of people in the area.

The Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA) says the spill caused the biggest environmental, social and health disaster the country faced within the past couple of years.

"The case is now before the Attorney General. We have sought his advice to proceed with legal action," MPPA Chairman Ranjith Kularatne told the Daily News yesterday.

He said under the MPPA act of 1981 they can claim up to 750 million under the Civil Liability clause while up to Rs.1 million can be demanded under the criminal liability clause.

The shipping line would be the principal offender but there probably would be more players, against whom Sri lanka could take legal action.

"The local shipping agent, the owners will also have to share responsibility," Kularatne said adding that the sinking ship has been towed into the Galle port without permission from the proper authorities disregarding the major threat it posed.

The Merchant Shipping Division is conducting an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the major mishap, from the time of its arrival and departure from the harbour.

"We have deployed a team of 45 scientists to assess the damage. They are working full-time to submit a comprehensive report," he said. The AG's report will be issued after the MPPA's assessment is completed, possibly in about three weeks.

The scientists from NARA, Colombo University, Ruhuna University and the MPPA itself include environmentalists, sociologists, marine scientists, livelihood experts, freshwater scientists and wildlife experts.

Prasanna Weerakkody of the Nature Conservation Group said the biggest damage by the disaster was to the Koggala lagoon but they cannot rule out an impact on the famous coral reefs in the area.

"The sandy beaches got cleaned but only about 10 per cent of the rocky shores were cleaned. The oil particles are still in the water. This keeps affecting and poisoning the environment," he said.

The Bangladeshi Cargo ship was carrying a huge consignment of wooden logs, pulses and some passengers from Rangoon to Bombay when it started to give trouble off the Sri Lankan east coast.

A private tug boat acting on a distress call received on September 7, towed the sinking ship to the Galle Port without approval from proper authorities despite the major threat to the harbour and the environs.

Later orders were issued to tow it out to deep sea and the ship sank half way causing a major oil spill which spread a few kilomteres along the Southern coast and into the environmentally rich Koggala lagoon.