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Three vessels of the Indian Coast Guard – Vikram, Saksham and Samarth – have been deployed off the Kochi coast to respond to a marine pollution emergency that arose after a Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 capsized. Containers from the shipwreck had started washing ashore since yesterday. Some of these containers contain hazardous cargo apart from several metric tonnes of oil which is posing a threat of oil pollution.
The Kerala government has issued a high alert along the state’s coastline after a high-level emergency meeting was convened under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assess the situation on Monday, May 26.
The ship sank 14.6 nautical miles off the Thottappally spillway. All crew members on board were safely rescued. Residents of coastal areas and fishermen have been advised to remain vigilant.
The ICG vessels utilised InfraRed cameras to detect the oil spill area and utilised OSD (Oil Spill Dispersant) to contain the spread of oil. An ICG Dornier aircraft equipped with specialised gear has also been positioned in Kochi for aerial assessment of the oil spill situation. A dedicated pollution control vessel Samudra Prahari is also being mobilised from Mumbai to further augment oil spill response efforts, according to an update from the Defence PRO in Kochi.
The ship was carrying 643 containers, out of which 73 were empty. 13 containers held hazardous substances. Some of these include calcium carbide, a chemical that can ignite and cause burns when in contact with water.
As of May 26 morning nine containers have washed ashore. While four were found near Sakthikulangara Harbour, three of them washed ashore at Chavara and one each at Cheriazheekal and Thrikkunnapuzha in Alappuzha.
Since this is a Tier 2 Incident, national forces, facilities, and resources are being utilised for response and mitigation. The Director General of the Coast Guard is heading the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Coastal areas of Alappuzha, Kollam, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts are at higher risk of receiving more containers. Given the risk of further oil spreading, a high alert has been issued across the Kerala coast.
The state government has issued safety instructions, warning the public to stay away from the containers. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, primarily due to weather conditions. They have also been asked not to fish within 20 nautical miles of the accident site.
For safe removal of containers, two Rapid Response Teams would be deployed in southern districts from Thrissur, and one team each in the northern districts, under the Factories and Boilers Department, using JCBs and cranes.
In case of oil reaching the shore, the Pollution Control Board will lead two Rapid Response Teams each in the southern districts and one in each northern district. District Disaster Management Authorities, police, and other departments will support all these operations.
As the oil may settle on the sea bed, a comprehensive plan will be prepared involving the Coast Guard, Navy, Forest Department, and Factories & Boilers Department. Coast Guard, Ports Department, and Navy have been instructed to make additional preparations to handle the oil spill contingency, a statement from the Chief Minister's office said.
Special instructions have been issued to all districts and departments on handling containers, oil slicks, and sunken oil. The state’s top priority will be public safety, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of the fishing sector.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured the public that there is no need to panic and that all necessary steps are being taken in coordination with various agencies.
At the neendakara coast, Karunagapally, and Sakthikulangara beaches in Kollam district of Kerala, three additional containers were washed ashore from the cargo ship MSC Elsa that capsized off the coast of Kochi. The incident occurred on 26th Monday morning. By approximately 4 a.m. in the morning, the first container was seen, followed by the remaining containers an hour later, raising concerns of spillage of dangerous chemicals into the sea.
The disaster management force and police were on the site examining the containers. In the initial examination, the additional containers were found to be empty and in open condition. Police and revenue authorities have urged the residents to be strictly cautious. Authorities have also warned residents regarding the possibility of the containers carrying dangerous and flammable substances. Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has advised the public to stay at least 200 meters away from the beached containers. As per the press release issued on May 25th regarding the same cargo ship, out of 643 containers, 73 containers are empty, 13 containers had chemicals such as calcium carbide which highly react when in close contact with water. It was observed that the containers were not cleared off customs duty.
Previously, another container was found at Cheriyazheekkal in Alappad, Kerala collided with seawall. After hearing loud noise, localities informed the authorities. Under the leadership of district collector N Devadas and City Police commissioner Kiran Narayanan, a team of professionals conducted thorough examination of the container, which was found at Cheriyazheekkal CFI Ground. Authorities have stated that if additional containers from the same ship are to reach the shore, they will be under the custody of the Customs Department. The ship agent of the concerned cargo will be summoned. The 'Bill of Entry’ which is a record that documents the contents of the cargo, for the purpose of ensuring whether the list matches the items on the bill.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) have alerted the possibility of more cargo reaching the shore precisely near. Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha. INCOIS also informs about the containers being a potential risk on the smaller vessels such as fishing boats
In order to closely monitor the areas, Customs Marine and Preventive units have been reportedly deployed along the Kerala coast. They will further locate, secure and inspect the containers that reach the shore. Under examination, if containers are found to store hazardous substances, they will be handled according to the safety protocols given by the government.
Authorities have demanded the public to not interact with any floating containers or debris, as a precaution, since it may contain dangerous chemicals or inflammable substances. They have also asked to immediately report the custom authorities once they discover any such items on the shore.
Custom House, Kochi Control Room: 0484-2666422
Customs (Preventive) Control Room, Kochi: 0484-4569400
Customs Preventive Unit, Alleppey: 0477-2991132