Mauritius is known for its crystal clear blue waters and is very popular among tourists. The Prime Minister of Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency and appealed to France for urgent assistance. This is because a grounded Japanese cargo ship named MV Wakashio which was carrying 38,00,000 kg of oil hit a coral reef. Because of this it is spilling oil non stop in the beautiful waters of mauritius. The area where the oil has spilt is an internationally-listed conservation site. The oil is polluting the waters and this is extremely dangerous to marine life. Oil slicked the coral reefs and white-sand shores upon which Mauritius has built its reputation as a green tourism destination. Aerial images showed the scale of the damage, with huge stretches of turquoise blue seas stained inky black by the spill. Because of rough seas, it was difficult to control the oil spill. 

Thousands of environmental activists, students and residents are working round the clock to reduce the damage. Volunteers could be seen scooping oil from the shores using buckets and filling oil barrels to take away the fuel. Packers & Movers, grocery shops, etc lent their vehicles to help volunteers transfer the barrels filled with oil. People were making floating booms with plastic water bottles to slow the spread of oil. People are even donating hair, which is stuffed in nylon cloth to be used as a boom. The hair helps to absorb oil and manage the oil spill. In a statement the French embassy in Mauritius said a military aircraft from the nearby French Indian Ocean island, would make two rotations over the disaster area with pollution control equipment. Two experts would also be aboard. Ecologists fear the ship could further break up, causing an even greater leak and inflict potentially catastrophic damage on the island nation's coastline, which forms the backbone of Mauritius' economy.

Tags

• Oil
• Spill
• Mauritius
• France

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