CHENNAI: About 15 months after the city's entire coastline turned black due to collision of two ships resulting in a massive oil spill off Ennore coast, ship owners have agreed to deposit Rs 240 crore as compensation.
The offer, which is part of a compromise involving the shipping companies and the government authorities, was submitted before a division bench of Justice M Venugopal and Justice S Vaidyanathan.
Compensation deposited by owners of BW Maple and
MT Dawn Kanchipuram - the vessels which collided on January 28, 2017, near the
Kamarajar harbour resulting in a massive oil spill along the Chennai shore - would meet claims of fishermen and their associations.
In return, they wanted the Tiruvallur collector and the director of fisheries to provide clearance and consent to sail out both the vessels anchored at the port. The compromise has also paved the way for the
Tamil Nadu government to entertain, apprise and disburse the claims from fishermen and their associations from the funds deposited for the purpose.
Originally, owner of MT Dawn Kanchipuram moved a plea before a single judge of the court for grant of port clearance to allow the vessel anchored at Kamarajar port to be towed to
Visakhapatnam to carry out repairs. The judge allowed the petition on the condition that the company has to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 188 crore in favour of director of fisheries. Aggrieved by the order, the firm had moved the present appeal.
When the appeal came up for hearing, the insurers of BW Maple brought to the notice of the court that the Tamil Nadu government had agreed to accept the payment of Rs 141 crore, including the restoration claims of Rs 10 crore, instead of Rs 188 crore as directed by the court, strictly without prejudice to the claims relating to livelihood loss due to the oil spill caused by the collision.
Two vessels collided on January 28, 2017, near the Kamarajar harbour resulting in a oil spill along the Chennai shore
