Mumbai oil spill: Port to reopen by August 15

New Delhi: Mumbai harbour, would be cleared for transportation by August 15, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said on Parliament on Tuesday.

"There is no oil spill off the Mumbai coast. When I contacted the Indian Coast Guard, they told me that Mumbai harbour would be cleared by August 15 and normal transportation restored," Ramesh told Lok Sabha in a suo motu statement.

He said 32 ships would be start moving by August 15. The ships were stranded because of the collision between container vessel MSC Chitra and another vessel Khalija-111.

Ramesh said, "The fishermen have already been issued advisory to avoid fishing activity till August 15 as there are still 200 containers floating on the sea water."

Though this matter comes under the purview of the shipping ministry, Ramesh said he was making the statement because of environmental concerns.

He said the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has collected water samples for testing and already lodged a case under the Environment Protection Act 1986.

However, the entire salvage operation would take 45 days, he added.