Oil Spill ( UPSC Prelims)

News Context

Kerala has announced an emergency following the capsizing of a container ship transporting Calcium Carbide near its coast.

About Calcium Carbide

• A dangerous chemical that interacts aggressively with seawater to generate highly flammable acetylene gas.
 • The application of calcium carbide for the ripening of fruits has been prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

Key Framework on Oil Spills

Regulatory Mechanisms for Marine Oil Pollution Control
 INDIA: Merchant Shipping Act (1958)
 This act governs shipping activities, incorporates pollution control measures, and aligns with MARPOL conventions for thorough maritime regulation.
 National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (1996)
 The Indian Coast Guard acts as the primary agency coordinating responses to oil spills within India's maritime territories.
 GLOBAL: MARPOL (1973)
 An international convention aimed at preventing marine pollution from ships, with detailed annexes focused on the prevention and control of oil pollution.
 BUNKER Convention (2001)
 This convention holds shipowners liable for pollution caused by bunker oil, guarantees comprehensive victim compensation, and requires compulsory insurance coverage.

About oil spill

Source: Crude oil, diesel, petroleum, and similar substances originating from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs, or wells.
 Impact: These substances poison algae, leading to disruptions in food chains and a decrease in the yield of edible crustaceans. They also cause contamination of the flesh of commercially valuable fish and affect benthic organisms such as clams and mussels.

Key Technologies to Clean Oil Spills

 ● Bioremediation: For instance, Oilzapper and Oilivorous-S, created by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), utilize bacteria to transform harmful hydrocarbons into harmless carbon dioxide and water.  
  ● Sorbents: For example, the fiber from the Milkweed plant, which is commonly found in Rajasthan, can be used effectively as a sorbent material.  
  ● Oil Boom: This method involves using large floating booms with skirts that extend into the water to physically isolate the spill area.  
  ● Skimmers: These devices remove oil from the water surface by first concentrating the oil and then efficiently skimming it.