KOCHI: Three days after Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC Elsa 3 sank in the Arabian Sea off Kochi coast, the authorities have been unable to allay concerns over the hazardous cargo that went down with the vessel.
As per information provided by the Coast Guard, the ship was carrying 643 containers, including 13 carrying hazardous cargo and 12 holding calcium carbide. However, there has not been any clarification from Mediterranean Shipping Company, the owners of MSC Elsa 3, the port authorities, or the customs department regarding the cargo, adding to the mystery.
“The swift action of the Coast Guard helped contain the oil spill. Experts said the pollution and environmental impact of calcium carbide will be limited to a few nautical miles and it will dissolve as the sea is turbulent. However, there is no word on the 13 containers carrying hazardous cargo. It is for the Director General (DG) of Shipping to clear doubts and convince the fishermen who are concerned about their livelihood,” said a fisheries department official.
The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) officials in Kochi held discussions with representatives of the shipping firm on Tuesday and demanded the cargo manifest. They also recorded the statements of the captain of the sunken ship. Officials from the DG Shipping’s office also reached Kochi on Tuesday, and will hold a meeting with the state government and top brass of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, efforts to salvage the floating containers are on by representatives of MSC and T&T Salvage, a team engaged by the firm. In a bid to dispel fears, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian will meet representatives of fishermen bodies in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
Oil spill is limited to patches: Coast Guard
While there have been speculations about the magnitude of the loss caused by the ship capsize, MSC will have to pay compensation for the damage caused to the environment as per the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage.
Fishermen organisations in Kerala have demanded adequate compensation as the hazardous chemicals will destroy the marine ecosystem, affecting their livelihood.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which launched coordinated efforts to contain the oil spill, on Tuesday said the spill has been limited to patches and has not reached the shore. Three offshore patrol vessels of the ICG – Aryaman, Saksham and Vikram – along with two Dornier aircraft are sprinkling Oil Spill Dispersant (OSD), which breaks up the oil into small droplets.
Samudra Prahari, the ICG’s pollution control vessel, has reached Kochi with sufficient quantity of pollution response assets. A specialised pollution response team of the Coast Guard will arrive from Mumbai on Wednesday morning to aid the operations.
“As of 17.38 hrs on May 27, 46 containers have washed ashore across three coastal districts of Kerala. The drift pattern is in line with the ongoing weather conditions and other debris is expected to beach subsequently. The oil spill has not reached the shores. The coordinated efforts to protect our environmentally sensitive coastline have tremendously reduced the spread rate of oil leaking from the vessel,” the ICG said in a release.
