Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of 'News item published in Newspaper The Times of India dated 07.03.2023 titled “Oil leaked in Tamil Nadu’s Nagai spreading along coast, say experts' dated 28/03/2023.

The National Green Tribunal directed constitution of a joint committee to see whether any remedial measures are required to contain the damage to the water due to incident of oil spill which took place in Tamil Nadu along the coast in district Nagapattinam. The incident took place, March 2, 2023.

The leak took place from 9 km long 20 inch diameter pipeline from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) CBR crude storage tanks at Nagapattinam to Karaikal Port.

The joint committee will comprise of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, District Magistrate, Nagapattinam, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).

First meeting of the joint committee has to be convened within two weeks and proceedings concluded within two months, the order said. In particular, the committee will undertake safety audit and examine the pipeline in question to find out whether the crack was due to corrosion on account of non-maintenance.