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5 days ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Shipwreck off Kerala coast likely to endanger marine ecology and life
The Liberian-flagged ship that sank off the Kerala coast has raised concerns about a potential oil spill and hazardous cargo, and the resulting ecological impact. The ship ELSA 3, enroute from Vizhinjam to Kochi, tilted into the sea on May 24, 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast and sank completely the next morning. According to the Ministry of Defence, the ship had 640 containers, of which 46 were washed ashore in south Kerala on Tuesday, May 27. Also, tiny plastic pellets or nurdles, suspected to be from containers, were found on the coast of Thiruvananthapuram the same day. Nurdles scattered in the sea are hard to clean up and can endanger marine life. As per media reports, large quantities of nurdles, also suspected to be from the containers, washed ashore in the Kanniyakumari district of the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu on May 28 afternoon, a few days after the ship began sinking. Besides, of the containers remaining in the sea, 13 carry hazardous material, but authorities have not disclosed the nature of this material. Another 12 contain calcium carbide, which becomes inflammable when reacting with water. It can also make the water more alkaline, disrupting the marine ecosystem. Under India's National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, the incident was classified as Tier II (spills requiring regional or national intervention). As per the contingency plan, the Indian Coast Guard has been trying to control the oil spill on site while state agencies are coordinating the response on the shore. Oil spill in patches The ship was loaded with 367 tonnes of furnace oil and 84 tonnes of low-sulphur high-speed diesel (HSD), according to a press release from the Ministry of Defence. 'Low-sulphur HSD is commonly used in ships. We don't know which of the two fuels leaked. Initially, the leak was in a 1 nm X 2 nm [nautical miles] area, and later it spread to 2 nm X 2 nm,' said Commander Atul Pillai, Defence Public Relations Officer, Kochi. He said the Coast Guard has largely contained the spill. 'Three Coast Guard ships have been churning the affected waters while two Dornier aircraft sprayed oil spill dispersants. Earlier, the spill was visible from the aircraft; now, there are only patches. Coast Guard has also now dispatched a pollution response strike team and a pollution response vessel from Mumbai to analyse and handle the contamination,' he said. When asked whether the oil spill could be fully dispersed, Pillai said, 'We can't say if more oil will leak out of the ship. As of now, the operation is going on.' Biju Kumar, marine biologist and head of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries at Kerala University, says long-term monitoring is needed even if the oil spill is dispersed. There is no immediate concern as no fish mortality has been reported. However, diesel and engine oil contain several hydrocarbons, some of which are persistent organic pollutants and are easily absorbed and remain in the food systems. The oil will ultimately settle down, get converted into paraffin balls, and spread over long distances. That is a threat to the benthic ecosystem (at the bottom of the sea).' More concerning, Kumar said, are the containers that are still missing. 'None of the recovered containers have calcium carbide, which means we need to have a thorough search for the declared materials. Second, many items, like plastic pellets, were not disclosed earlier. So, what is in the containers is a concern.' Until Monday, two days after the ship began sinking, most containers washed ashore were either empty or contained non-hazardous materials like tea. By the next day, plastic pellets washed up. The nurdles, 1 mm to 5 mm in diameter and considered primary microplastics, are used to manufacture plastic products. According to Kumar, this is the first instance of plastic pellet pollution from a shipwreck reported in India. He says the nurdles' size and buoyancy allow them to travel far, and their resemblance to fish eggs causes aquatic animals to ingest them, which could be fatal. Nurdles can also absorb pollutants over time, gradually break down into micro and nano plastics, and enter the food chain. Kumar says nurdles should be removed from the spill sites and beaches as soon as possible. The state government has enlisted volunteers, who would be guided by drone surveys, to remove pellets from the shore. Sreekala S, chairperson of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, says, 'We plan to coordinate with the administrations to remove the containers and materials. The shipping company MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company] has agreed to remove these, and discussions on this are ongoing.' MSC is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland but ELSA3 was registered in Liberia. The Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, under the Directorate General of Shipping, has issued a pollution liability warning to the company, and MSC is reported to have hired an agency for cleanup. Kumar says the government should form a consortium of experts to conduct long-term monitoring studies. 'There is an international standard of practice for such monitoring. This includes frequently examining the water, sediment, and biota in the pelagic, mesopelagic (intermediate depths), and bottom layers. Filter feeders, especially mussels and shrimp, have a greater chance of accumulating chemicals. So, examining all these animals will give you a picture of the type and level of contaminants.' He adds that such studies are usually conducted for about three years and should be extended if contaminants are detected. Joint studies Until May 27, ICAR's Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute scientists collected water and sediment samples from 12 shores where containers were washed up. These were in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Kollam districts. 'The analysis will take time, but preliminary observations don't indicate oil slicks,' says Ratheesh Kumar R, team member and senior scientist. From May 28, the fisheries institute, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, and the National Institute of Oceanography are conducting a 10-day vessel-based survey. 'We will collect water and sediment samples from different depths of the sea and measure water quality, alkalinity, oil content, biota, etc. We will also collect fish from 8-10 landing centres and look for any chemicals, oil, or hydrocarbons,' Ratheesh Kumar said. The survey locations would be selected based on dynamic maps by the ocean information services centre that project the oil drift based on wind and current directions. The fisheries institute will continue the study for at least six months, though the sampling frequency may be lower, Ratheesh Kumar said.
The Print
26-05-2025
- General
- The Print
Mapping of Kochi oil spill begins, Kerala coastline on alert as containers from capsized ship wash ashore
The MSC ELSA 3, en route to Kochi, capsized 24 May and completely sank by 25 May morning, 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottappally spillway in Alappuzha. Additionally, authorities have issued a statewide alert urging extreme caution among coastal communities, particularly concerning the districts of Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram, where containers are most likely to wash ashore. Thiruvananthapuram: Central and state agencies have launched a coordinated effort after a Liberia-flagged container vessel carrying hazardous cargo on board sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday. It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials and 12 containing calcium carbide—a chemical that can ignite on contact with water. Additionally, the vessel held 84.44 metric tonnes (MT) of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes (MT) of furnace oil. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a high-level emergency meeting on Monday to evaluate the situation. As per the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the incident was classified as a Tier 2 disaster, and the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is overseeing efforts under the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP). As of Monday morning, nine containers had reached the coast—four near Shaktikulangara Harbour, three in Chavara, one in Cheriyazheekkal in Kollam district, and one in Thrikkunnapuzha in Alappuzha district, the CMO informed media after the meeting. Defence PRO Atul Pillai in Kochi told ThePrint that Coast Guard vessels Vikram, Saksham, and Samarth have been deployed to the site. These vessels, using infrared cameras, will detect oil spills and apply oil spill dispersants (OSDs) to contain the spread, he said. Besides this, a Dornier aircraft stationed in Kochi is conducting aerial surveillance, and the dedicated pollution control vessel Samudra Prahari is being mobilized from Mumbai to bolster cleanup efforts. 'The containers washing ashore are currently being handled by the NDRF and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority,' Pillai told ThePrint. 'We are providing guidance from the Coast Guard, but due to the ongoing monsoon, it is difficult to predict how many more containers will reach the shore.' He added that rescuing the crew was the ICG's primary objective. 'Twenty-one crew members were rescued Saturday, while three remained on board until Sunday morning under the company's direction to mitigate the incident. When the vessel tilted further, they were forced to abandon ship, and the Navy carried out the rescue amidst highly dangerous conditions,' he said. In parallel, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has begun mapping the spread of the oil spill. The Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has also collected water samples from Alappuzha. Dr. Prema, Principal Scientist at CMFRI, said the organisation would continue sampling along the coast starting Monday. 'Calcium carbide, if exposed to water, can have toxic effects. We are still determining if any has leaked, but caution is essential,' she noted. Also Read: Why Tamil Nadu's shores have become a death trap for Olive Ridley turtles Public advisory issued In view of the incident, the government has issued several precautionary directives to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Citizens were advised not to touch, approach, or gather near any containers or unusual objects that wash ashore. 'A safe distance of at least 200 meters must be maintained, and any such findings should be immediately reported by calling 112,' an advisory from the CMO reads. Furthermore, fishing is prohibited within 20 nautical miles of the sunken vessel. Fishermen must also avoid contact with any debris or containers and report sightings to the authorities. To handle containers reaching the shore, the Kerala government will deploy Rapid Response Teams equipped with JCBs and cranes under the direction of the factories and boilers Department. Two teams each will be active in the southern districts from Thrissur onwards, and one team each will cover the northern districts. For managing potential oil contamination onshore, the Pollution Control Board will deploy similar teams across the region, it said, adding that District Disaster Management Authorities, police, and other government departments will support these operations. A comprehensive plan involving the Coast Guard, Navy, forest department, and factories and boilers department is being prepared to address the risk of oil settling on the seabed, it added. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: 'Save Ennore creek' — Chennai oil spill turns focus to a 'lifeline in ICU'
Gulf Today
25-05-2025
- General
- Gulf Today
Container ship sinks off Kerala coast, navy rescues all crew
Despite best efforts of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and the shipping firm, the container vessel MSC Elsa 3, which had reported listing around 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast, sank into the Arabian Sea on Sunday morning. Indian Navy and Coast Guard sources confirmed that the vessel listed further and eventually capsized on Sunday morning. All the 24 crew members aboard the vessel were rescued. Of these, 21 were saved by the Navy and Coast Guard on Saturday evening and the remaining three, the captain, chief engineer, and second engineer, were brought to safety by the Navy on Sunday morning. The 21 crew members rescued earlier have been shifted to the Coast Guard headquarters in Kochi, while the captain and two engineers were taken to the Kochi Naval Base. According to reports, the vessel was carrying 148 containers, some of which may drift toward the Kerala coast due to the influence of the monsoon currents. The vessel, which was transporting containers with hazardous cargo, had listed approximately 26 degrees to the starboard side by Saturday afternoon. Upon receiving information regarding the incident, three ships, INS Sujata of the Indian Navy, ICGS Arnvesh, and ICGS Saksham, were deployed to assist in salvage operations. Coast guard ship ICGS Saksham on Sunday launched efforts to contain oil spill. MSC Elsa 3, a Liberia-flagged container vessel built in 1997, has a length of 184 metres and a beam of 25.3 metres. The containers are drifting at a speed of approximately one kilometre per hour and are expected to reach the Kerala coast, particularly between Alappuzha and Ernakulam, within two days. Authorities have issued a public advisory warning residents not to approach or touch any containers that wash ashore, as they may contain hazardous materials. While there is no official confirmation of the exact contents, sources indicate that the cargo includes Sulphur. Efforts by the shipping firm to tow the sinking vessel to Kochi port were unsuccessful due to rough sea conditions and strong winds. A vessel carrying technical experts had also been dispatched for salvage operations, but was unable to approach the vessel to shift cargo or initiate towing. In the early hours of Sunday, the vessel capsized rapidly, reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds. The three crew members who had remained on the abandoned vessel were rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the operation on Saturday evening. Defence spokesperson Atul Pillai confirmed that another vessel from the parent company has reached the site for further salvage operations, though rough weather continues to hamper efforts. Although the Navy attempted to assist in towing the vessel to the Kochi coast, operations could not proceed as the vessel began capsizing. Indian Coast Guard deployed two ships for containment operations and uses a Dornier aircraft to spray chemical dispersants over the affected area. The Director General of the Coast Guard, who also heads the National Oil Spill Response Plan, directly supervises the containment efforts. Following the sinking of the container vessel, Kerala government deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to tackle the threat of drifting cargo containers and a potential coastal oil spill. In a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, the Factories and Boilers Department and the Pollution Control Board have been directed to constitute the RRTs. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), police, and other agencies will extend all necessary support for emergency operations and public safety. The government has issued a public advisory urging coastal residents to stay at least 200 metres away from any unfamiliar objects or containers found washed ashore. Citizens are requested to alert authorities by dialling 112 and avoid gathering near the site. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the deep sea, particularly within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the site. They have also been warned against approaching or handling any drifting containers or suspected hazardous materials at sea.
