Debris of the sunk vessel.
Kochi: An oil slick spreading from the sunken Liberian-flagged container vessel MV MSC ELSA 3, located 15 nautical miles southwest of Alappuzha, Kerala, triggered an urgent environmental response from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) today.
By late morning, ICG surveillance aircraft spotted the slick drifting east-southeast at 1.5 to 2 knots, driven by strong winds and rough seas that roiled the Arabian Sea. The ICG deployed ICG Ship Saksham, pre-equipped for pollution response, to confront the spill, while a Dornier aircraft conducted aerial surveys, dispersing Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD) to break down the slick’s spread across Kerala’s vital coastal waters.
The operation faced immediate challenges, with over 100 cargo containers floating in the area, some splintering and releasing their contents, creating a hazardous debris field that threatened maritime navigation in this busy corridor.
The rough sea conditions, coupled with strong winds, intensified the complexity of the operation, testing the ICG’s ability to manage the slick and debris under adverse circumstances. To protect maritime traffic, the ICG issued urgent advisories, diverting all passing ships from the area and warning mariners to navigate cautiously to avoid collisions with the scattered containers, which posed significant risks to vessels traversing the region.
The Mercantile Marine Department in Kochi issued a pollution liability notice to the vessel’s owners, MSC, under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, holding them accountable for the spill’s impact. MSC appointed T&T Salvage to manage container recovery, oil extraction, and clean-up operations.
The ICG further intensified its efforts, stationing two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for 24-hour surveillance and mobilising additional assets, including the specialised pollution response vessel Samudra Prahari and more OPVs carrying substantial OSD reserves. It also directed the Kerala state administration to prepare for potential shoreline contamination, advising local communities to avoid handling any cargo or debris washing ashore to safeguard public safety and the coastal ecosystem.
The ICG’s ongoing operation, combining aerial sorties and maritime assets, continues to battle the oil slick and debris under challenging conditions, prioritising the protection of Kerala’s vital coastal waters.
– global bihari bureau
