CHENNAI: The potential environmental fallout from the recent sinking of the container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast in Kerala has escalated, as plastic nurdles—tiny plastic pellets used in manufacturing—have begun washing ashore even in Tamil Nadu's Kanniyakumari district on Wednesday.
The Liberia-flagged vessel sank on May 25, approximately 38 nautical miles off the coast between Vizhinjam and Kochi. Carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials and substantial quantities of diesel and furnace oil, the ship's sinking has led to the dispersion of its cargo in the ocean.
Among the debris, the nurdles, which have been found on beaches in Thiruvananthapuram, have drifted southward into the west coast of Tamil Nadu due to prevailing ocean currents.
This has raised fears that they may drift towards the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar on the east coast. It hosts extensive coral reefs, vital seagrass meadows, and endangered species like dugongs and sea turtles.
Kanniyakumari district authorities told TNIE that 25-kg bags full of plastic nurdles in large quantities started washing ashore on Wednesday afternoon. Sources said there was a meeting of a fact-finding committee, which was constituted by the Union Environment Ministry, held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. "So far, we don't know the quantity of the spill," a senior official in the environment ministry said.
Nurdles, though not inherently toxic, pose significant threats to marine life and coastal ecosystems. Their small size and resemblance to fish eggs make them easily ingestible by marine organisms. Once consumed, they can cause internal blockages, malnutrition, and even death. Moreover, nurdles act as sponges for toxic chemicals, which can accumulate in the bodies of marine animals and potentially enter the human food chain.
Unlike oil spills, which can sometimes be contained and removed, nurdles are lightweight, buoyant, and disperse quickly with winds and tides, making the clean up difficult. Once dispersed in the ocean, nurdles are nearly impossible to recover.
"Nurdles can smother coral reefs, block sunlight essential for photosynthesis, and interfere with the delicate balance of marine habitats," said A Biju Kumar, head of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries at the University of Kerala. "Their presence in seagrass beds can disrupt nutrient cycles and harm the root structures of these underwater plants."
Sources said the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, Department of Environment and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board are working on a plan of action in coordination with district authorities.
This is the first major incident of plastic nurdle spill caused by a shipwreck in India. In May 2021, Sri Lanka suffered from a nurdle spill, when 1,680 tonnes of spherical pieces of plastic were released into the ocean as a cargo ship caught fire 18 km off the west coast of the country.
Though the Gulf of Mannar was at risk at that time, the pollutants luckily didn't reach the reef habitat due to unfavourable ocean currents.
