Containers leaking into the sea from a Liberian cargo ship that sank 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast have caused widespread concern across the state. The vessel, ELSA-3, owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), sank in the Arabian Sea near the Kerala coast. In the 643 containers carried by the ship, the presence of fuel and hazardous chemicals is raising alarm in Kerala. It is consoling that all crew members aboard the ship were rescued. However, the lack of clarity about the contents of hundreds of containers and the authorities’ apparent inability to find ways to prevent the impact on the sea, environment, marine life, and human habitats is deeply troubling. Preliminary information at the time of writing indicates that 13 of the containers have ‘hazardous cargo’. It is known that 12 of the containers contain calcium carbide. The ship also carries 84.44 metric tons of diesel and 367.1 metric tons of furnace oil. Experts, supported by the central government’s marine and coastal protection departments, warn that the consequences could be extremely severe if these substances leak into the sea. Therefore, the state government has declared a state of emergency in the coastal areas. The government is engaged in emergency disaster relief operations, including evacuating people from coastal regions, banning fishing, and clearing the shorelines.
The cause of the ship’s accident has not been found yey. One conclusion is that it may have been due to extremely heavy rainfall. However, this ship had previously suffered damage and mechanical failure in a collision in 2016. Six months ago, it underwent a detailed inspection in India. Another ship of the same company was also involved in an accident earlier this month. The MSC Antonia cargo ship sank in the Red Sea on May 13 following a GPS jamming incident. When a ship is involved in an accident, crude oil, diesel, and other fuel oils pollute both the seawater and the environment equally. The danger posed by oil slicks on the water surface is another serious concern. On April 20, 2010, following an explosion on an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil spill from the subsea well continued for 87 days. Thousands of marine creatures, including dolphins and large turtles, died and were washed ashore. That disaster severely damaged the fishing industry and also crippled the tourism sector. The cost of water purification alone was 65 billion US dollars. During the Gulf War, large-scale oil spills in the Persian Gulf caused a major international crisis. It is because of these past instances that Kerala faces considerable stress.
Following the sinking of the cargo ship, hundreds of containers are drifting in the Arabian Sea, along with leakage of oil and gas, which is causing serious concern. Large quantities of fish resources, seabirds, and other marine life are among the groups rapidly bearing the visible impact of this disaster. Not only are these marine creatures facing life-threatening dangers through toxic poisoning caused by the oil spill and other contaminants, but as the sea’s food sources are also destroyed by this contamination, the entire marine ecosystem will be thrown into turmoil. Considering that a large portion of Kerala’s population depends on fish resources for their livelihood, this could plunge the state into a severe crisis. The problems caused by the pollution of seawater present an additional issue. The damage caused by this toxic poisoning to Kerala’s rich biodiversity—including coral reefs and mangrove forests—will have unpredictable impact. The fishing ban will push coastal communities, already struggling with the hardships of the monsoon season, and the tens of thousands involved in the fishing trade, into further difficulty. This phenomenon of toxic emission will also cause people to be distanced from fish as a food source.
Kerala is at a major crisis point on many fronts. On one hand, the troubles caused by the earlier monsoon rains persist. It is while preparations are underway to face the threats of floods and landslides, severe soil erosion and road collapses on the under-construction national highway are disrupting peace, that the state is now confronting increasing dangers from the sea. The central and state governments must work together to neutralize the oil and toxic gases and to prevent the resulting hazards. All possible measures should be explored and implemented swiftly. As part of the disaster relief efforts, the public should be ready to comply with government warnings and vigilance alerts and co-operate with relief operations. The state must be able to overcome the disasters facing both land and sea in a timely and befitting manner and ensure the safety and well-being of the state. As in the past, Kerala will survive this phase as well.