Latest news with #NationalOilSpillResponsePlan
Hans India
25-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Kerala sounds alert amid suspected hazardous substance leak from capsized cargo ship
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued a public warning following reports from the Indian Coast Guard of a possible leak of hazardous substances from a capsized container vessel off the state's coast, an official said on Sunday. The cargo reportedly fell from the Liberian-flagged ship MSC ELSA 3, which was on Saturday en route to Kochi port from Vizhinjam before it sank in the Arabian Sea. In response to the environmental threat and potential public safety hazards, the Kerala government has launched urgent containment measures. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been deployed to manage the risk of drifting cargo containers and a possible coastal oil spill. A high-level emergency meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary directed the Factories and Boilers Department and the Pollution Control Board to constitute the RRTs. The District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), police, and other key agencies have been instructed to provide all necessary assistance for emergency operations. According to official sources, MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 14.6 nautical miles (around 27 km) off the Thottappally coast. Nearly 100 containers are believed to have fallen into the sea, with many now drifting towards the shore at a speed of around 3 kmph. The Indian Coast Guard has launched a full-scale containment operation. Two Coast Guard ships are currently engaged in the area, while a Dornier aircraft is being used to spray chemical dispersants over the affected zone. The Director General of the Coast Guard, who also leads the National Oil Spill Response Plan, is personally supervising the operations. In anticipation of oil settling on the seabed, the state government is preparing a contingency plan involving coordinated underwater cleanup efforts. This will be a joint operation involving the Coast Guard, Navy, Forest Department, and the Factories and Boilers Department. To bolster precautionary measures, the Port Department, Coast Guard, and Navy have been instructed to mobilise additional booms and skimmers to contain any potential oil spread. District-level task forces have also been activated to address various emergency scenarios, including recovery of containers, shoreline cleanup, and marine pollution control. A public advisory has been issued urging coastal residents to stay at least 200 metres away from any unfamiliar objects or containers that may wash ashore. Citizens are requested to immediately alert authorities by dialling the emergency number 112 and are advised not to gather near such sites. Fishermen have been strongly advised against venturing into deep-sea waters, particularly within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the incident site. They have also been warned not to approach or handle any floating containers or suspected hazardous materials they may encounter at sea. Officials have emphasized that the immediate priorities are to ensure public safety, prevent environmental damage, and protect the livelihoods of the local fishing communities.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
100 containers likely fell into sea after ship capsizes off Kerala coast, officials mobilise oil spill response
Taking stock of the situation emerging from the sinking of a container ship off coast of Kerala, a high-level meeting was held on Sunday, in which it was said that around 100 containers are likely to have fallen into the sea. The Coast Guard had earlier said in a post on X that the Liberian-flagged vessel, MSC ELSA 3, was carrying 13 containers with 'hazardous cargo' and 12 with calcium carbide. It also said the ship had '84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks'. The vessel had started tilting 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on Saturday and completely capsized on Sunday. All crew members have been rescued. An official communication from the Kerala Chief Minister's Office after the meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on Sunday said the containers are most likely to reach the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. 'As the oil slick can reach anywhere along the Kerala coast, an alert has been sounded across the coastal belt. The containers are drifting in the sea at a speed of 3 km per hour. Besides, the oil in the fallen containers and the marine fuel used in the ship has also leaked. At present, the Coast Guard has deployed two ships and a Dornier aircraft to mitigate oil spilling,' said the release. It was said in the meeting that the ship completely submerged at around 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally on the Alappuzha coast. Fishing in a 20-nautical-mile area from the sunken ship has been banned. This is in addition to a standing instruction against fishing in the wake of heavy rain. The Director General of the Coast Guard, who is also the chairman of the National Oil Spill Response Plan, is taking necessary steps to contain the oil spill. People living in coastal areas and fishermen were advised not to touch or go near objects or containers that may reach the shore. They were told to stay at least 200 metres away from containers. Other decisions taken in the meeting are: if containers get washed ashore, the Factories and Boilers Department has been asked to make ready two Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) each in southern and central Kerala districts, and one each in the northern districts. The Coast Guard, the Port Department and the Navy have been instructed to mobilise more containment booms — floating barriers used to contain oil spills — as well as skimmers and other resources to handle oil spill contingencies. Special instructions have been given to the districts and departments to handle containers, oil slicks and oil going down to the seabed. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Navy, Coast Guard and collectors of all coastal districts, as well as senior state bureaucrats.
