No information about oil rigs safety: RTI activist

By Indo Asian News Service | IANS – Mon, May 16, 2011

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The Indian government has failed to provide information about the department tasked with ensuring safety of oil rigs in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to avoid any environmental disaster, said a Right to Information (RTI) activist Monday.

RTI activist Lokesh Batra said he had filed an RTI at the cabinet secretariat in March seeking details about the department that ensures that all safety regulations related to oil rigs are adhered to in order to avoid accidents that can cause massive pollution in Indian waters.

'The investigation of the explosion of the BP Oil Rig 'Deepwater Horizon' in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 has brought to light several shortcomings and lapses in safety procedures. I wanted to know about the concerned department in India that looks after safety of oil rigs,' said Batra.

According to Batra, even after 50 days he has not received any reply from the cabinet secretariat.

'I have now filed an appeal with the first appellate authority in the cabinet secretariat seeking to be given the required information,' he said.

Eleven people were killed when the BP oil rig exploded in Gulf of Mexico last year. The massive oil spill had caused severe damage to the marine environment and species in the ocean.