Latest news with #Liberia-flagged
Time of India
19 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Plastic nurdle spill threatens Gulf of Mannar
Chennai: Plastic nurdles from the Liberia-flagged container ship that sank off the Kerala coast could spread to the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve in less than two days. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A simulation using the search and rescue aid tool (SARAT) run by INCOIS, Hyderabad, shows that the nurdles are likely to drift further along the coast near Sattankulam by Saturday evening, before moving southward and offshore on Sunday. The tiny plastic pellets, used in plastic manufacturing, had already started washing ashore in Kanyakumari district on Wednesday. "In 36 to 48 hours, the nurdles are likely to move offshore because the currents in that area are directed away from the coast. However, due to wind patterns, a portion of the spill could drift into the Gulf of Mannar. But the majority is expected to reach Sri Lanka's west coast," said Balakrishnan Nair T M, Director, INCOIS. The container vessel MSC Elsa-3 sank on May 25, about 38 nautical miles (about 70 km) off the Kerala coast, between the ports of Vizhinjam and Kochi. The ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials such as calcium carbide, along with 84.44 tonnes of diesel and 367.1 tonnes of furnace oil. On Friday, chief minister M K Stalin chaired a meeting with officials on the safety measures to be taken to remove nurdles and other hazardous waste from the Elsa-3 shipwreck. According to a release from the state govt, Stalin inquired of environment and forest department secretary Supriya Sahu whether there was any oil spill from the ship accident and whether the marine organisms were affected. Sahu informed him that the pollution control board officials were inspecting if there was any oil spill and that they had contacted the ship authorities to determine whether there were any hazardous substances onboard the ship. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Veterinary and fisheries department secretary N Subbian told Stalin that he directed the fisheries officials to check whether the marine organisms were affected by the shipwreck and whether nurdles have been ingested by marine organisms. The fishermen were also advised to avoid fishing in the affected areas, Subbian told Stalin. Stalin directed the officials to monitor the movement of nurdles according to climatic conditions and to check the possible coastal areas where nurdles might get washed away. The district collectors of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, and Ramanathapuram were already briefed by the state disaster response authority about the steps to be taken to remove nurdles.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Climate
- Business Standard
TN on alert for toxic debris after Liberia-registered ship sinks off Kerala
The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority is monitoring the possibility of hazardous materials, spilt from the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, washing ashore the state's coast. As of now, no hazardous materials have been found on Tamil Nadu's coastline, the officials said. The ship was involved in an accident off the Kerala coast on May 24, during the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in the spillage of fuel, plastic particles, and hazardous cargo containers into the sea. Due to the intensifying southwest monsoon, plastic debris, containers, and other materials have been drifting and washing ashore along the coasts of Kerala and the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari district. The ship's sinking has left a trail of debris along the Kerala coastline. Several containers from the vessel have washed ashore in various locations, including the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Efforts are being made to remove them. The vessel, carrying 24 crew members, had reported technical issues and was tilting soon after departing from Vizhinjam port. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard responded promptly to the distress call, deploying ships INS Satpura and INS Sujatha to the scene. Despite adverse weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 40 knots and debris in the water, the Coast Guard successfully rescued all 24 crew members. The crew member attributed the incident to a technical problem with some systems, rather than a collision. They mentioned that the situation worsened due to adverse weather conditions and the age of the vessel. Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Secretary A Jayathilak with officials and district collectors in the background of the sinking of the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast. The ship completely sank 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottapalli spillway. About 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. The ship's fuel oil has also leaked. However, all the crew members of the ship have been rescued.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
TN authorities alert for toxic debris washing ashore after Liberia-registered ship sinks off Kerala coast
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 30 (ANI): The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority is monitoring the possibility of hazardous materials, spilt from the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, washing ashore the state's coast. As of now, no hazardous materials have been found on Tamil Nadu's coastline, the officials said. The ship was involved in an accident off the Kerala coast on May 24, during the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in the spillage of fuel, plastic particles, and hazardous cargo containers into the sea. Due to the intensifying southwest monsoon, plastic debris, containers, and other materials have been drifting and washing ashore along the coasts of Kerala and the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari district. The ship's sinking has left a trail of debris along the Kerala coastline. Several containers from the vessel have washed ashore in various locations, including the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Efforts are being made to remove them. The vessel, carrying 24 crew members, had reported technical issues and was tilting soon after departing from Vizhinjam port. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard responded promptly to the distress call, deploying ships INS Satpura and INS Sujatha to the scene. Despite adverse weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 40 knots and debris in the water, the Coast Guard successfully rescued all 24 crew members. The crew member attributed the incident to a technical problem with some systems, rather than a collision. They mentioned that the situation worsened due to adverse weather conditions and the age of the vessel. Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Secretary A Jayathilak with officials and district collectors in the background of the sinking of the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast. The ship completely sank 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottapalli spillway. About 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. The ship's fuel oil has also leaked. However, all the crew members of the ship have been rescued. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
Kerala CM Vijayan declares State Special Disaster after Liberia-flagged container vessel sinks off Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 29 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday declared the sinking of the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 off Kochi as a State Special Disaster. The vessel sank on May 24, prompting concerns about environmental damage and potential impact on coastal communities. Vijayan emphasised that the state's priority is safeguarding the environment and protecting people's livelihoods in coastal areas. The government is taking immediate action to mitigate the disaster's effects and ensure the ecosystem's safety. Speaking on Thursday, CM Vijayan said, ' We are declaring this incident a State Special Disaster. Our priority is to safeguard our environment and protect the livelihoods of our coastal communities' 'The vessel was carrying 643 containers--73 were empty, 13 contained calcium carbide, 46 housed plastic pellets (hydrocarbon-based materials), and one held rubber. Nearly 100 containers are believed to have fallen into the sea. An emergency meeting was held immediately to assess the situation. Experts were consulted on containment and cleanup strategies,' he said further. Declaring a State Special Disaster will enable the government to mobilise resources and take swift action to respond to the situation. The authorities are working to assess the damage and implement measures to prevent further environmental harm. 'Currently, 54 containers have washed ashore along the coastlines of Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The state has already initiated cleaning operations to protect our fragile coastal ecosystem. This is a shared responsibility, and we must all act together,' said the CM further. 'Volunteers from the Police, Civil Defence, and other local organisations have been deployed in affected areas. Drone surveys of the coastline have been completed. The state has formally requested MSC to remove the sunken vessel from our coastal waters and compensate for the environmental impact, economic losses to tourism, and disruption of livelihoods,' CM mentioned further. Earlier, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launched a full-scale pollution response operation following the sinking of the Liberian container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3, which went down on May 25, 2025, approximately 15 nautical miles southwest of Alappuzha, Kerala. Within hours of the vessel's submergence, ICG surveillance aircraft detected an oil slick at the site. ICG Ship Saksham, already stationed in a pollution response configuration, was deployed immediately. An ICG Dornier aircraft conducted aerial assessments and dispersed Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) across the affected zone. By late morning on May 25, the oil slick was spotted drifting east-southeast from the site of the sinking at a speed of 1.5 to 2 knots. Rough sea conditions and strong winds made response efforts more challenging. Despite the hazardous situation, with over 100 cargo containers floating in the area, some breaking apart and releasing their contents, ICG continued operations with full effect. To ensure safety, all passing ships have been diverted, and mariners have been warned to navigate cautiously due to floating debris and potential navigation hazards. All 24 crew members of the Liberian-flagged container Vessel MSC ELSA 3 were rescued safely, by ships of the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. Additionally, ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks. (ANI)
Hans India
3 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Plastic Nurdles from sunk container ship off Kochi coast wash ashore in TN, raising alarm for Gulf of Mannar
Environmental concerns are mounting following the sinking of the container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the coast of Kerala, as plastic nurdles — tiny pre-production plastic pellets — have begun washing ashore in Tamil Nadu's Kanniyakumari district and are posing a threat for the eco-sensitive Gulf of Mannar. The Liberia-flagged vessel sank on May 25, approximately 38 nautical miles off the coast between Vizhinjam and Kochi. It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 classified as hazardous, along with substantial quantities of diesel and furnace oil. The incident has led to a widespread dispersion of cargo, including plastic pellets, in the Arabian Sea. In a worrying development, large quantities of nurdles packed in 25-kg bags began washing up on Kanyakumari beaches by Wednesday afternoon. These pellets had already been reported on the shores of Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week. Authorities believe prevailing ocean currents are pushing the spill southward, with the potential to impact the ecologically fragile Gulf of Mannar on the east coast. The Gulf of Mannar is a critical marine biosphere reserve, home to coral reefs, seagrass meadows, dugongs, and sea turtles. Experts warn that if the nurdles continue to drift eastward, the damage to this sensitive ecosystem could be severe. Plastic nurdles are not inherently toxic but pose serious environmental threats. Due to their small size and resemblance to fish eggs, they are easily consumed by marine animals, leading to internal blockages, malnutrition, and death. Nurdles also absorb toxic pollutants from seawater, which can then enter the marine food chain and potentially affect human health. Unlike oil spills, which can often be contained and cleaned, nurdles are buoyant and highly mobile. Once dispersed by tides and wind, they are virtually impossible to recover, making clean-up operations extremely challenging. Officials from the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, the Department of Environment, and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board are working with local authorities to formulate an emergency response plan. Meanwhile, a fact-finding committee formed by the Union Environment Ministry convened in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to assess the situation. This marks India's first major plastic nurdle spill caused by a shipwreck. A similar incident in May 2021 off Sri Lanka's west coast released 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets into the sea, but ocean currents at the time spared the Gulf of Mannar from contamination.
