Sri Lanka, India hold joint exercise on oil spill prevention

Sri Lanka and India on Thursday held a joint oil spill prevention exercise onboard the Indian Coast Guard Ship "Samudra Paheredar", which is on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka.

The navy, in a statement said that prior to the training exercise, the ship's crew of "Samudra Paheredar", personnel from Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Marine Environmental Protection Authority and Sri Lanka Navy participated in a two-day workshop which included a wide range of activities related to oil spill prevention and response.

The navy said oil spills from vessels that occur as a result of sudden collisions with oil platforms and various other related reasons, had posed a significant threat on the marine environment to date.

"Unless such issues are addressed effectively and efficiently, the oil spills would adversely affect the marine environment and its species in the long run," the navy said.

As both India and Sri Lanka are located close to one of the busiest network of international shipping lanes, the readiness is of paramount importance for both countries to take remedial action against oil spills.

The exercise enabled the participants to rehearse and improve own capabilities and enhance operational effectiveness required to maintain marine environment in the region, the navy said. Endit