Latest news with #NationalOilSpillDisasterContingencyPlan
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Shipwreck off Kochi coast: Shipping officer to meet govt agencies, insurer to streamline claims
Kochi: The nodal officer appointed by the directorate general of shipping (DGS) will meet with state govt agencies and officials of the insurer to streamline the claims arising out of the sinking of the vessel MSC ELSA-3 vessel off the coast of Kochi. The meeting will also involve a representative of the insurer from the UK who is expected to arrive on Monday. DGS sources said that those affected, including the fisherfolk, need not worry as their grievances would be addressed. "Since it would be challenging for the fisherfolk to come forward with claims themselves, the state govt will take the lead role in coordinating with them as they will have the actual data. Whatever grievances they have will be addressed. The insurance company would try to take care of losses, including the loss of their livelihood," said deputy nautical adviser Capt Anish Joseph, the nodal officer appointed for the purpose. An SOP would soon be formed to deal with the compensation claims arising from the sinking. Sources also said that the insurance companies involved are reputable and are part of the international group of the protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "On Monday, one of their officials from London, along with a few other officials from India, will be arriving to meet the govt agencies to facilitate the claim process along with the nodal officer," said sources. The nodal officer will be travelling to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kanyakumari to meet with govt officials. Sources said that setting up district-wise cells to facilitate the process was also under consideration. Sources added that the first part will be the submission of the claims, then there will be scrutiny from the insurance side, after which the payout is likely to happen. "We want only fisherfolk to come forward, which is why the state govt is to take the lead," said a source adding that bogus claims can derail or delay the process. The govt will also be making claims for compensation since response measures are being undertaken by Coast Guard as well as the state govt. Sources added that salvage operations are also underway, and as per the water sampling tests so far, the water levels were not at a level that causes concern, said sources. Meanwhile, a special National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) meeting chaired by director general of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Paramesh Sivamani was conducted on Friday to review the pollution response action plan post the sinking of the vessel. Stakeholders from multiple govt agencies collaborated to discuss response efforts, ensuring a unified approach to protect the sensitive ecosystems of Kerala and south Tamil Nadu's coastline and safeguard the livelihoods of fisherfolk affected by the incident, ICG said in a post on X.
Scroll.in
3 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 Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Danger in the sea: on Kerala and the MSC Elsa 3 sinking
On the afternoon of May 24, MSC Elsa 3, carrying more than 640 containers, started tilting off the coast of Kochi, apparently due to an operational problem. The nearly three-decade-old ship was said to be structurally safe. The crew abandoned the ship after unsuccessfully trying to right her. Now, Elsa 3 is lying at the bottom of the seabed 50 metres below. As per the cargo manifest, officials say the ship had 13 containers with hazardous goods. Twelve had calcium carbide, a reactive compound, and one had 'rubber solution'. Some 50 containers, many empty, were floating and getting tossed around by monsoon weather. Officials say the rubber solution has reacted with the seawater and accounts for the plastic pellets being found on the Kerala coast. Five containers with calcium carbide, another pollution hazard, are lying on the seabed and need to be safely disposed of before they cause damage. Some oil pollution has also been reported. There is as yet no clarity on how to safely dispose of the plastic pellets. Though containers have tremendously boosted world trade logistics, oversight and control of what each container that passes several hands, ships and yards has is a global problem. Besides the 600-odd containers still lodged inside Elsa 3's cargo space, some 365 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 60 tonnes of diesel lie inside the ship's tanks. That much of the oil has not seeped out yet is fortuitous but there is every possibility of it happening if quick action is not taken. The Chennai coast was ravaged by 250 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from an oil tanker that collided with an LPG carrier in 2017. MSC Elsa 3 is a toxic dump that needs to be quickly disposed of. Salvers are being engaged and they will follow international insurance protocols. The National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) names the Coast Guard as the nodal agency for such responses. In Chennai, the response was delayed by several days and there was much confusion and a lack of coordination between agencies. In Kerala, however, there has been enough time to rig up an effective response. With ambitious plans for economic growth that will inevitably lead to a surge in ship traffic, the government has also planned to draw more national and global transshipment traffic into India's waters. India is only set to see a great number and variety of ships of varying cargoes on its coast in future. The Kerala response will show how well prepared India is to handle a major maritime disaster.
United News of India
4 days ago
- General
- United News of India
Oil, diesel leakage: 146 personnel deployed shoreline cleanup, retrieval of containers
Kochi, May 29 (UNI) Citing oil and diesel leakage from containers, 146 personnel have been deployed for shoreline cleanup and container retrieval operations for the ongoing response to the capsizing of Liberian flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3, off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025. "108 personnel have been deployed for shoreline cleanup and container retrieval operations. An additional 38 personnel have been mobilized for emergency response in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, and Kollam," Capt. Abul Kalam Azad, Nautical Advisor to the Government of India, has said. The 184-meter-long ship built in Germany in 1997 was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing hazardous materials. Over 100 containers are reported to have been lost at sea, and several have washed ashore in Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram. These efforts are being coordinated with the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and District Collectors of the affected coastal areas. The vessel was carrying 367.1 tonnes of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and 84.44 tonnes of marine diesel fuel. The environmental threat posed by the incident is being actively mitigated. The Indian Coast Guard has deployed ships and aircraft for aerial surveillance. Dispersants are being applied under the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan. Capt Abul Kalam Azad outlined three top operational priorities: Oil recovery from the sunken vessel, Retrieval of drifting containers and Removal of beached containers. The oil recovery operation is currently underway, with the salvage team setting July 3, 2025, as the completion target. So far, 50 containers have been identified from seven different coastal locations. The priority is to recover all of them within the next 48 hours. Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor to the Government of India, stated, 'The Ministry and DG Shipping are fully cognizant of the magnitude and complexity of the situation. All mechanisms are in place to address the issue and avert any further mishap.' Senthil Kumar, Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, reassured the public, saying, 'While minor oil traces have been detected, there has been no major oil spill. All traces found along the coast are being cleaned up through coordinated efforts.' Within 6 hours of the incident, DG Shipping convened a coordination meeting to avert a potential environmental disaster. Prompt rescue efforts ensured the safety of all 24 crew members. To date, 8 inter-agency coordination meetings have been held, issuing clear directives to all stakeholders. An onsite team in Kochi continues to monitor and manage pollution risks. High-range drones and precision scanning equipment are in use to detect and contain oil traces. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is working closely with DG Shipping, deploying trained volunteers for cleanup activities, said Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping and Additional Secretary to the Government of India; Officials reiterated that there is no large-scale oil spill and urged coastal residents not to panic. All visible traces are being addressed swiftly and scientifically. Local administrations are in constant touch with MMD and DG Shipping, and all container recovery and cleanup measures are under strict monitoring. UNI DS BM
The Hindu
7 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala govt. sounds high alert along coastline following oil spill, threat of chemical leakage from capsized ship
The spectre of possible leakage of hazardous chemicals loomed large in Kerala, with at least nine containers from the capsized Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC Elsa 3, washing up on the beaches of Kollam and Alappuzha districts early Monday. A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a high alert along the State's coastline. It also flagged environmental concerns from an oil spill from the sunken vessel. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Dornier Aircraft flew several sorties over the shipwreck site and sprayed dispersants to accelerate the biodegradation of the oil slicks. The government has classified the accident as a Tier 2 maritime event. It is in close coordination with the ICG director general, who heads the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, to mitigate the environmental hazard. Calcium carbide The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the vessel had 643 transhipment containers secured on the main deck. The cargo hold contained 13 containers transporting calcium carbide. The hazardous chemical causes an exothermic reaction, producing highly flammable calcium hydroxide and acetylene gas when it reacts with water. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information (INCOIS) has informed the government that more containers will likely wash up on the beaches of Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The government has urged the public to report the sighting of containers by dialling the emergency number 112. The government stated that local people found four containers beached near Shakthikulangara Harbour and Chavara in the Kollam district. They also reported containers run ashore at Cheriaazheekal and Thrikunnipuzha beaches in Alappuzha district. The government has advised extreme caution and cordoned off the coastal localities, as some containers may contain hazardous and flammable materials. Sekhar Kuriakose, member secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), advised the public to maintain a minimum distance of 200 m from the beached containers. Ban on fishing near site The government stated that more containers were floating in the sea, posing a grave threat to passing ships and smaller vessels, including fishing boats. The government has banned fishing activities within a 20-nautical mile radius of the shipwreck location. The ICG and maritime authorities have issued notices to mariners, advising them to exercise caution when navigating the shipwreck location. Salvaging containers The shipping company has contracted a private firm to assist authorities in corralling the floating containers and salvaging those stowed away in the submerged vessel's cargo hold. The container ship, which had set course for Kochi from Vizhinjam, foundered after encountering rough weather 38 km southwest of its port of call early Sunday. A perilous combination of heavy seas, possible hull leakage, mechanical failure and perhaps unbalanced cargo reportedly caused the ship to list heavily before capsizing and sinking. The Coast Guard rescued the ship's crew, comprising up to 21 individuals from various nationalities, including Russia and the Philippines.
