Chennai: A shocking analogy drawn by fisheries minister D. Jayakumar on Monday, comparing the oil slick issue to 'asafoetida sprayed onto the sea' attracted the ire of environmentalists and public.
Terming it 'insensitive' and 'irresponsible' environmentalists questioned his ability in representing fisherfolk issues.
Stating that the damage caused by the Chennai oil spill has been brought under control, fisheries minister Jayakumar had told a TV channel that the fish consumed from the coastal region is healthy. The oil spill is like asafoetida sprayed onto the sea and will not cause any harm to the marine life, he had explained.
The statements, intended to push the issue under the carpet of political expediency, were condemned by various sections of people. “It is a misguided statement from the minister. We have been demanding a complete clean up of the oil, which is not done yet. The comparison is wrong as the presence of heavy hydrocarbons in the sea water has been proved,” said G. Sundarrajan, of Poovulagin Nanbargal.
Such statements from the minister is an apparent effort to dilute the seriousness of the crisis and is an attempt to sidestep the urgent need to make serious efforts to bring in the infrastructure and technology to handle such future disasters, opine environmentalists.
“The Bay of Bengal is already a toxic masala. Rather than taking efforts to make the load lighter, the minister is making light of the entire situation. His statements speak about the lack of responsibility, says Nityanand Jayaraman, an environmentalist.
