Thiruvanthapuram firm and fisherfolk play major role in recovery of Elsa 3 containers
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A second ship accident in the waters off the Kerala coast in a span of two weeks has put in focus the crucial role played by the coastal community and a local firm in emergency recovery of containers.
The Thiruvananthapuram-based Waterline Shipping and Logistics has been lauded for its quick response, harnessing the expertise of local fishermen to salvage containers from the rough seas after the sinking of MSC Elsa 3.
Waterline was engaged by the directorate general of shipping a day after the vessel sank around 14.6 nautical miles off the Alappuzha coast. Beginning May 26, the agency launched operations swiftly, continuing through May 29. They successfully identified 54 of the 61 containers that washed ashore and recovered 18 of them before major international salvage teams including T&T Salvage (USA) and MERC took over.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Owners of sunken ship given 48 hours to complete extraction of oil leaking into sea
Authorities have given the salvors and owners of a vessel that sank last month off the Kerala coast 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act will lead to civil and criminal charges. The Liberian-flagged ship, MSC Elsa 3, sank approximately 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally in Kerala's Alappuzha district. The notice was issued on Wednesday evening, sources said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kulkas yang belum Terjual dengan Harga Termurah (Lihat harga) Cari Sekarang Undo The vessel went down carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonne of diesel and 367.1 metric tonne of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence. The vessel sank on May 24 with oil still trapped inside. Live Events In its latest update, the Directorate General of Shipping said that both state and central government agencies had issued a final notice demanding urgent action. Officials say delays in starting saturation diving--the recommended method for safely removing the oil--have seriously disrupted the operation's timeline. The Director General of Shipping stated that, given the seriousness of the environmental threat and the narrowing operational window due to the approaching monsoon, the salvors and shipowners have now been given a final ultimatum to begin and complete the oil extraction within the next 48 hours. "Failure to comply will result in both civil and criminal liability being imposed under applicable Indian laws, and legal proceedings will be initiated before the competent courts without further notice," it said. Although divers have managed to seal several leak points, minor seepage continues from one tank, raising fears of a larger spill. Divers are working from the vessel SEAMAC III in round-the-clock shifts, but worsening weather due to the incoming monsoon is putting pressure on teams to complete the task swiftly. The dive team has been expanded to speed up the work, and more equipment is being moved in. Officials say completing the sealing and quickly transitioning to oil extraction is now urgent, before rough seas make further diving impossible. "Divers successfully sealed multiple bunker vents and surrounding pipes that were contributing to oil seepage, with no active overflow currently observed. Continuous monitoring is underway for minor seepage detected from the sounding pipe of Fuel Oil Tank No 22," the DG shipping said. "Sounding pipe leaks have been contained using layered sealing (plastic and polyester materials), and an additional loosened cap was tightened and secured to halt minor leakage. Centre Tank No 24 has been confirmed secure; precautionary sealing will be undertaken to eliminate any residual risk," it said. On land, most containers that drifted ashore after the incident have been recovered. Drone surveys are still under way to identify any remaining debris. Cleanup teams and volunteers have collected over 2,500 kilograms of plastic pellets, or nurdles, daily along beaches in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and Thiruvananthapuram. Authorities are arranging temporary storage and final disposal of the recovered nurdles, with help from pollution experts and customs officials. A beach-cleaning vacuum system is being tested and may be deployed soon. Meanwhile, Kerala Police have registered a case of rash navigation against the ship's owner, master, and crew. An FIR registered by the Fort Kochi Coastal Police Station states that the owners, master, and crew handled the vessel--which was carrying combustible and explosive cargo dangerous to human life and property--in a negligent manner, leading to its sinking on 24-25 May near Alappuzha district.
News18
8 hours ago
- News18
'Undeclared Hazards, Illegal Registrations': Singapore Ship Blaze Exposes Loopholes, Ecological Risks
Last Updated: Govt reports suggest these incidents have shown that the abuse of Flags of Convenience (FoC) is not just a loophole but a deliberate strategy for profit at the expense of safety. India is facing significant ecological and social costs due to the mishandling of ships by third countries, government sources have told CNN-News18. Government sources have raised serious concerns following recent coastal accidents. The sinking of the MSC Elsa 3 in May 2025 and the MV Wan Hai 503 fire in June 2025 have highlighted significant flaws in the maritime system. The fire on the MV Wan Hai 503 poses a severe risk to Indian coasts. Government reports suggest that these incidents have shown that the abuse of Flags of Convenience (FoC) is not merely a loophole but a deliberate strategy for profit at the expense of safety. Currently, 45 per cent of global tonnage sails under FoCs, creating a conflict between sovereign accountability and negligent convenience. The MV Wan Hai 503, carrying 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 240 tonnes of diesel, is a significant oil spill threat. Government sources warn that a breach in the vessel could lead to a catastrophic spill, contaminating Kerala's coastline from Kozhikode to Kochi during the monsoon season. Additionally, the ship has 157 containers of hazardous materials, including pesticides (Class 6.1), lithium batteries (Class 9), and flammable liquids (Class 3), posing risks of toxic cargo leakage. These substances could leach toxins into marine ecosystems and be carried ashore by monsoon waves, threatening fish stocks and coastal habitats. Already, 40–50 containers have fallen overboard and are drifting towards Kerala's coast, sources said. Government inspections have been criticised for being perfunctory, often relying on paperwork over physical checks. For example, the MSC Elsa 3 had 21 deficiencies noted in Rotterdam but was never declared unseaworthy. Inadequate risk profiling allows ships with repeated violations, like the MSC Elsa 3 with its flag-hopping history, to evade scrutiny. Although the Sea Cargo Manifest and Transshipment Regulations (SCMTR) of 2018 mandate digital manifests for hazardous goods, the MV Wan Hai 503 carried undeclared explosives among its hazardous cargo. Local authorities in Kerala were also criticised for failing to issue timely public advisories regarding the MSC Elsa 3's calcium carbide cargo. There are serious accountability gaps in the system, with FoC abuse being very common. According to government data, 45 per cent of global shipping tonnage is registered under Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands, enabling regulatory evasion through lax oversight, tax avoidance, and weak labour enforcement standards. For instance, the MSC Elsa 3, which sank with 13 undeclared hazardous containers, was registered under the Liberian flag. Similarly, the Wan Hai 503 was Singaporean-flagged but owned by Taiwanese interests, with hazardous cargo misdeclaration suspected in the explosions. FoC states often lack the resources for thorough investigations, delaying liability attribution and compensation. Liberia, for example, ignored India's probe into the MSC Elsa 3 incident. FoC states like Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands outsource vessel inspections to private agencies, leading to cursory checks and certification. The MSC Elsa 3, despite its 21 deficiencies, was never declared unseaworthy. The Wan Hai 503, carrying 157 containers of hazardous materials including undeclared explosives and lithium batteries, also exemplifies this issue. These incidents reflect broader systemic problems, including the hiring of cheap, inexperienced labour to cut costs, sources point out. The Wan Hai 503's crew, lacking training in hazardous cargo management, delayed fire containment efforts, leading to the loss of four crew members during evacuation and inadequate emergency protocols. The MSC Elsa 3's underwater fuel tanks posed a significant oil spill risk affecting 200 km of coastline. FoC states often avoid funding cleanups, shifting the burden to coastal states. Following these incidents, Kerala banned fishing, severely impacting communities during peak season and causing a 40% drop in tourism revenue post-Elsa 3 due to pollution fears. Furthermore, the MSC Elsa 3 criminal case remains stalled due to Liberia's non-cooperation, while the Wan Hai 503 owners delayed sharing cargo manifests. AIS manipulation is another issue, as FoC vessels often deactivate trackers to hide their locations. Government sources report that GPS jumps increased from 600 km in 2024 to 6,300 km in 2025, raising collision risks. Shadow fleets under FoCs like Panama are known to transport illegal goods, with 29 per cent of global vessels using FoCs to facilitate arms and drug smuggling. The mishandling of ships by third countries under FoCs poses significant ecological and social risks to India, necessitating urgent systemic reforms and stricter regulatory oversight. First Published: June 12, 2025, 11:38 IST News india 'Undeclared Hazards, Illegal Registrations': Singapore Ship Blaze Exposes Loopholes, Ecological Risks
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
How a river dies: Thenpennai, Tamil Nadu's Second-Longest River, Is Killing Crops, Fish, And Is Too Polluted To Use
Centuries ago, it was celebrated in Sangam literature, depicted as flourishing with lush vegetation along its banks. It was worshipped too, with temples built along its banks. Today, the 497 km Thenpennai, Tamil Nadu's second-longest river after the Cauvery, flows frothy and foul. "It used to nourish our fields," says farmer K Mariappan. "Now it kills our crop." He recalls how his father and grandfather harvested an abundance of groundnuts thanks to the clean waters of Thenpennai. "Now, crops wilt when irrigated with the polluted water. A decade ago, I harvested 300 quintals of cabbage per acre. Now it's down to 140. Even that's hard with the chemical foam." Like the Cauvery, the Thenpennai is an interstate river, rising from the Chennakesava Hills in Karnataka's Chikkaballapur district and winding its way through Bengaluru's industrial corridors before entering Tamil Nadu near Hosur. In Tamil Nadu, it passes through Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, and Cuddalore, its watershed spanning nearly 3,700 sq km. In Krishnagiri, the Kelavarapalli dam supports nearly 8,000 acres of farmland. Further downstream, the older Krishnagiri Reservoir Project provides water to more than 9,000 acres across 16 villages in Krishnagiri. For most of the year, the river runs dry, flowing only during the monsoons. When it does, it raises the water table and replenishes tanks and reservoirs. But, say farmers, over the past few years, when water is released from Kelavarapalli dam, it is full of effluents that inundate farmland, with the foam sometimes reaching as high as the branches of trees. Tests have found high levels of industrial pollutants, including detergents and chemicals that reduce dissolved oxygen and harm aquatic life. In May 2024, Thenpennai foamed white with toxic froth, and farmers in Krishnagiri urged the state govt and district administration to tackle the problem. A month later, on June 9, a 15-member team from the Central Water Commission arrived at Kelavarapalli dam to assess the damage. "They took water samples," says Poomozhi, an environmentalist from Salem. "But no action has been taken." He says a Central Pollution Control Board inspection in 2020 found the pollution was due to untreated effluents from Bengaluru-based industries. "The committee recommended restoring Bellandur and Varthur lakes, but nothing has been done." Each day, 30 million litres are drawn from the river by the Hosur municipal corporation for drinking water, and another 13 million litres supply SIPCOT industries. The Sathanur Dam, at Tiruvannamalai, with a capacity of 7.3 TMCFT, is the largest on the river. As a result, much of Bengaluru's sewage reaches Thenpennai via Bellandur, Varthur, and other channels. Tests revealed coliform levels ranging from 2.42 lakh to 19,863 MPN/100 ml, far above the permissible 2,500 MPN/100 ml for bathing. "How can villagers be expected to drink this water?" says Poomozhi. A few years ago, researchers from IIT Madras identified high concentrations of emerging contaminants in the Cauvery, detecting 15 pharmaceutical pollutants, including anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen), stimulants (such as caffeine), antidepressants, and antibiotics. Some of these were found at levels several times higher than in other rivers across India. The river was also contaminated with plastics and heavy metals. The study recommended regular monitoring and upgrades to wastewater treatment systems to curb the pollution. Last month, Krishnagiri collector C Dinesh Kumar inspected the site and assured residents that the state would approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT). "Steps are being taken to form a committee for evaluating the river and the nearby industries." But farmers say they've lost hope and fear the Thenpennai is headed the way of the Noyyal, a tributary of Cauvery that was choked by effluents from textile dyeing units in Tirupur. Once a vital water source for Coimbatore, the Noyyal is now often described as a "gutter" clogged with plastics and sewage.
