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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Plastic pellets from sunken ship mar Kovalam beaches
Thiruvananthapuram: Plastic pellets, known as nurdles, from the containers of the Liberian cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3, which sank off Thottappally in Alappuzha on May 25, have started accumulating on the beaches of Kovalam, where the land juts out into the sea. This has also triggered a kind of foam, and fishermen and stakeholders in the hospitality industry have raised concerns that the state govt has not taken measures to clear them and prevent them from coming to the beach. Plastic pellets and white foam have filled the famed Ashoka Beach over the past two days. As they are difficult to clear, the tonnes of pellets threaten to mar the experience of beachgoers at one of the famous tourism spots in the state. Robert Panipilla of Friends of Marine Life said the "Mukham Kodimana," a piece of land that juts into the sea near Kovalam, would capture most of the plastic pellets as the water current and wind flow is from north to west. He said the pellets were getting washed back into the sea and getting submerged in the sands, which will create trouble in the coming years. Kovalam, meanwhile, is now getting more visitors who want to enjoy the monsoon. "This will create a pollution problem in the coming years. It's unfortunate that the govt is not taking steps to clear the pellets," Panipilla said, adding that they could affect tourists if not prevented. There are environmental concerns as well, as these pellets are particularly hazardous to marine life. "The short-term environmental impacts include ingestion by marine animals as nurdles look like fish eggs and are easily consumed by fish, turtles and seabirds, leading to intestinal blockages and starvation. Nurdles can accumulate in sand and estuaries, suffocating benthic organisms and reducing biodiversity. The long-term impacts include toxic chemical absorption, and they absorb pollutants like PCBs, PAHs, and DDT from seawater, becoming toxic pellets. Over time, nurdles break into micro- and nano-plastics, entering food chains and human diets," marine biologist and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) vice-chancellor A Biju Kumar said. The pellets were earlier reported to have been found in large numbers along Kochu Veli, Thumba and Vettukad. The vessel, carrying 640 containers, sank around 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally, and 13 of these containers contained hazardous materials like calcium carbide and hydrazine-based plastics. The state govt earlier declared the shipwreck a state-specific disaster and initiated a comprehensive clean-up operation. An expert panel of specialists in marine science and environmental response was also convened to guide long-term efforts.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Slow response risks long-term pollution
Thiruvananthapuram : The millions of plastic pellets that began to wash ashore along the state's southern coast two days ago from the sunken cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 can cause long-term pollution as authorities failed to act quickly to contain the spill. The authorities have so far focussed on containing the oil leak and recovering containers, most of them empty, that drifted ashore. Nine empty containers were recovered from the sea along the Thiruvananthapuram coast. Strong waves and monsoon winds broke open the sacks, scattering the pellets in the sea and along the coast at Vizhinjam, Thumba, Shangumugham and other areas. Sources said the authorities should have assessed the contents in the containers of the sunken ship and should have tried to contain the spread to the shore. The pellets, made of PET plastic, are not toxic but non-biodegradable. On Wednesday, the corporation's sweepers attempted to clear the pellets from Shangumugham's coastal road but made no effort to address the accumulation on the beach. By Thursday, volunteers from Harita Karma Sena resorted to scooping up pellets mixed with sand, filling buckets and sacks. Meanwhile, authorities have shown no clear strategy for removing the pellets still floating at sea. Fishermen say the presence of sea walls, which trap the pellets, makes comprehensive removal nearly impossible. A Biju Kumar, head of the department of Aquatic Biology, Kerala University, said the plastic pellets may cause long-term pollution. "Only a small portion seems to have come to the shore; all kinds of fish can consume them. The solution is to monitor the fish and look for chemical presence in the long term." Steps are being taken to clear them, but it is a challenge, he added. Robert Panipilla of Friends of Marine Life (FML) said the pellets look like eggs of squid and fishes are likely to eat them. "Pellets are floating in the water now. The longer they remain in the water, biomass will form on them, and they can sink due to their weight. Fish can think it is food." In other countries, floating barriers or booms would be deployed to contain such materials, he said. As no major oil spill has occurred and no slick has been found near shore, the state govt has declared that fish remains safe to eat. Heavy rain and strong waves have affected pollution containment measures, even as the govt is planning to survey the after-effects of the shipwreck.
