Latest news with #SARAT
Time of India
3 days 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.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Capsized cargo containers may drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala
Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has stated in another bulletin that there is a high probability (80%) that overboard containers of the capsized Liberian flagged container ship may drift towards the coastal stretch of Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala in the next couple of days. Hence, these regions should be monitored closely to mitigate potential risks. Additionally, Oil Spill Trajectory Advisory simulations were conducted to forecast the potential spread and movement of the oil discharge, aiding in mitigation and clean-up planning. The oil spill of mainly very low sulphur fuel has been observed to drift southeastward toward the coast and make a landfall near Alappuzha (Alleppey), affecting an estimated 11.4 nautical miles of coastline. The spill movement is being continuously monitored using forecast data, said the bulletin.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Containers of capsized ship drift to Kerala coast: What we know about the oil spill risk, and preparedness to contain it
Containers from a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, that capsized off the Kerala coast Sunday triggering a oil spill alert in the area, have now begun washing up ashore. The situation is being closely monitored. Even as no spill has been reported so far, people have been asked to stay away from any object that drift to the shore. MSC ELSA 3, the Liberian-flagged vessel, en route to Kochi Port from Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, started tilting due to the rough sea conditions, 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi on Saturday. By next day morning, multiple containers fell into the water and began to sink. According to Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the vessel capsized rapidly in the early hours of Sunday 'due to flooding in one of the holds', and was at a risk of spilling oil. 'All 24 crew members of Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 were rescued safely, 21 by Indian Coast Guard and 3 by Indian Navy ship, Sujata, after the vessel sank off Kochi this morning,' the Coast Guard said in a post on X on Sunday. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert to the public to keep at least 200 metres away from objects that may drift towards the coast. The state government has sounded an alert along the coast, mainly in central and southern Kerala, where the containers from the sunken ship were likely to reach in heavy wind and currents. Besides, there has been an alert against the oil slick from ship, which could reach anywhere along the Kerala coast, the government said. The Coast Guard has said the sunken ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 containing 'hazardous cargo' and 12 with calcium carbide. Additionally, the ship had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil in its tanks. However, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information and Services (INCOIS) has warned that if spillage does occur, at least two coastal districts in southern Kerala could face contamination within 36 to 48 hours. If the oil spill, the areas that are at potential risk of contamination are Alappuzha, Ambalapuzha, Arattupuzha and Karunagappally. 'These coastal zones are at risk of contamination and should be given prompt attention to minimise potential environmental impact,' said INCOIS. INCOIS said it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in coordination with relevant authorities, providing vital ocean forecast information and advisory services to support ongoing search, rescue, and environmental response operations. Soon after the tilting of the cargo ship was reported, INCOIS activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to assist in locating containers or drifting objects, it said. Additionally, 'oil spill trajectory advisory' simulations were run to forecast the potential spread and movement of any oil discharge, aiding mitigation and cleanup planning, it said. The Coast Guard said it has activated comprehensive pollution response preparedness and is coordinating closely with the state administration to address all possible scenarios. The Coast Guard ship, Saksham, is engaged in oil spill response. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft is also being launched in 'PR configuration for mitigating oil spill'. In the context of an oil spill response, 'PR configuration' typically refers to the use of the 'co-polarisation ratio' (PR) method to assess the oil-water mixture ratio in a spill — crucial for effective emergency treatment and cleanup efforts. The state government has asked the Factories and Boilers Department to make ready two Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) each in southern and central Kerala districts, and one each in the northern districts. Besides, in the event of oil slick reaching the shore, the state pollution control board was directed to make ready two RRTs each in the southern and central coastal districts and one each in the northern districts.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Containers from sunken ship likely to drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam coasts in 48 hours: INCOIS
There is a high probability (of 45%) that many of the 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide, from the Liberian-flagged container ship, MSC ELSA 3, that sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday morning drifting towards the entire coastal stretch of Alappuzha district and parts of Kollam in the next 48 hours, say simulation results from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). They include Alappad, Purakkad and Chappakkadavu in Alappuzha, apart from Vellanathuruthu, Kovilthottam and Maruthadi along the Kollam coast which have a 25% chance of being affected. These regions should be monitored closely during the 48 hours to mitigate potential risks, says a communication issued by INCOIS. The agency has activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) to assist in locating containers or drifting objects. Oil spill Indian Coast Guard (ICG) sources said oil spill was reported around the vessel and its extent was being assessed. The INCOIS communication goes on to say that oil-spill trajectory advisory simulations were run to forecast the potential spread and movement of any oil discharge. Based on hypothetical simulations, any spilled oil pollutant can reach the coastal stretch of Alappuzha, Ambalappuzha, Arattupuzha and Karunagapally within 36 to 48 hours of 'release'. These coastal zones are at risk of contamination and should be given prompt attention to minimise potential environmental impact, the ocean information services agency has said. INCOIS continues to closely monitor the situation and remains in coordination with the authorities concerned, providing vital ocean-forecast information and advisory services to support ongoing search, rescue, and environmental-response operations, it says. The agency provides vital ocean condition forecasts and advisory services to safeguard the lives and livelihood of maritime communities, especially during extreme weather events such as cyclones, high waves, and swell surges. These forecasts are generated using an advanced multi-model operational ocean forecasting system, which integrates real-time observational data from coastal and deep ocean buoys, including those deployed in the southern Indian Ocean. 84.44 MT of diesel The sunken ship was also carrying 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, as per a communication issued by the Ministry of Defence. Given the sensitive marine ecosystem along the Kerala coast, the ICG has activated full pollution response preparedness. ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil-spill detection systems are conducting aerial surveillance, and ICG ship Saksham, carrying pollution-response equipment, remains deployed at the site, it says. Clarity on contents Oil spill was reported around the vessel by evening and its extent is being assessed. In addition, the ship's owner firm MSC is expected to clarify on the contents of the hazardous cargo in the 13 containers, ICG sources says.
