TERI starts ‘zapping’ oil from beaches

To rid the shores of the oil slick without further polluting the sea, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is using the bio-remediation technology. TERI is using its oilzapper method for the partial clean-up of beaches after getting permission from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

TERI started work on Awas beach near Alibaug on Friday. The process will repeated at Navy Nagar.

TERI, which had invented the oilzapper technology of bio-remediation, along with the Department of Biotechnology of the Central government after seven years of research, scooped oil-stained sand from a 1.2-km stretch of the beach with the help of over 100 NCC volunteers. It was dumped into a bio-remediation pit about 200 metres from the shore and the oilzapper technology was applied. The sludge will get bio-degraded in two months.

Dr Banwari Lal, National Director, Environmental and Industrial Technology, TERI, said microbes which constitute the oilzapper will eat up contaminants in two to four months. "These bacteria can convert contaminants into carbon dioxide without any harmful residue," said Dr Lal.

He, however, added that TERI would not be able to help clean up mangrove sites. "Mangroves are very sensitive and dealing with them requires a different level of expertise," he added.

TERI would not charge the government anything for the clean-up operations.

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