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It had to happen. The proverbial 30 pieces of silver (or 30 barrels of oil in this case) resulted in the establishment of oil facilities near one of India's most precious marine habitats in the Gulf of Kutchh, which is populated by dugongs, dolphins, octopus, puffer fish and coral formations to die for. This Marine National Park was devastated by an Indian Oil Company spill from its Vadinar-Kandla pipeline near Salaya on November 23, 1999. At the time oil was being pumped from a tanke to the IOC's Single Buoy Mooring (SBM). The usual denials and reputation damage control exercises have started. The clean up has not.

Extensive mangrove and coral habitats have also been seriously affected. At least six dolphins have died. The bird-death count has not even been started, but it is bound to be horrendous as this is a staging point for hundreds and thousands of migranting avians. The first spill was noticed as far back as November 15, 1999, but no one thought fit to inform the nation. Even journalists, it seems, found such news of little concern.

Three very large projects owned by Reliance Petroleum Ltd., Bharat Oman and Essar are asking for environmental clearances in the same region. If these go ahead we could lose this vital marine habitat, that is the breeding ground for fish and other marine species that support a multi-million dollar industry.

The Gujarat Forest Department valiantly tried to prevent such developments for years, but politicians and big business prevailed. This is an environmental crime and Indian Oil should be made to pay a sum on the same basis that the Exxon Valdez was forced to.

Bittu Sahgal.