Surat: Pristine beaches of Umargam and Nargol are raising a stink once again. Oil slick, which coagulated as black balls, has once again hit the coast, leaving fisher folk jittery.

The beaches affected in the past four days include Nargol, Tadgam, Maroli, Saronda, Umargam and Daman. “The slick has kept us away from the beach. This will be equally hazardous for us and the marine life,” said Jitu Tandel, a fisherman of Nargol village. The presence of oil particles has also pushed fish into deep waters. “Now we will have to go into deep sea to find fish, which is possible only for fishermen who have bigger vessels,” he said.