The decision was prompted by growing concerns over potential oil spills and the drifting of hazardous debris, including cargo, along the state’s coastline.Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, state Disaster Management Department, stated that the shipwreck posed a potentially serious threat to Kerala’s coast, both environmentally, socially, and economically.
File Photo: IANS
The Kerala government has declared the wreckage of the Liberian flagged cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 in the Arabian Sea a state-specific disaster, citing serious environmental risks.
The decision was prompted by growing concerns over potential oil spills and the drifting of hazardous debris, including cargo, along the state’s coastline. Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, state Disaster Management Department, stated that the shipwreck posed a potentially serious threat to Kerala’s coast, both environmentally, socially, and economically.
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The vessel, carrying 643 containers, capsized on May 25 approximately 14.6 nautical miles off the coast near Thottappalli in Alappuzha district. Among the cargo were 12 containers of calcium carbide and one container of organic chemicals—raising alarm over possible contamination.
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A significant environmental threat has arisen off the Kerala coast due to the sinking of the Liberian-flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3 in the early hours of May 25, approximately 38 nautical miles from Kochi.
Floating containers and hazardous materials have already begun washing ashore, posing a serious threat to coastal ecosystems and public health. Around 44 containers have so far drifted to the shores of Kollam, Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. Even though measures have been taken to control the oil spills, the possibility of the oil reaching the Kerala coast cannot be ruled out. It is in this circumstance that the Kerala government is considering to take legal action against the owner of the company MSC ELSA.
Amid growing concerns over the scale of marine pollution caused by the cargo ship that sank off the Kochi coast last week, the carcass of a dolphin washed ashore near the Valiyazheekkal Beach in Alappuzha on Wednesday.
The carcass was found during a beach inspection led by S Sheela, Assistant Professor of Zoology at TKMM College, Nagarkulangara, as part of a preparatory survey for a beach-cleaning initiative by the Ocean Society of India scheduled for June 8. A preliminary assessment of the carcass indicated that it was in an advanced stage of decomposition, suggesting the dolphin might have died before the shipwreck incident.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out on Thursday while cutting the container that washed ashore after MSC Elsa 3 ship that listed off on the Kochi coast. The fire broke out in the thermocol shield of the container.Smoke was first noticed when the gas cutter was in use, quickly escalating into flames. Strong sea winds helped the fire spread, but a major disaster was averted thanks to the swift response of the fire force personnel present on-site.
A total of 11 containers were ashore at the Shakthikulangara coast. “A couple of containers were joined together; it was planned to separate them after removing the joint parts. Some containers have thermocol-type substances between them,” said an official in the district administration.
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