Cleanup panel formed to oversee MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck recovery efforts

Following the chemical spill and plastic pellet wash-up caused by the maritime mishap involving cargo ship MSC ELSA 3, state govt convened a high-level expert panel with international participation and deployed trained volunteers to lead coastal clean-up efforts.

Acting on chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s directives, a multidisciplinary expert consultation, involving internationally renowned marine and environmental specialists, was held. Among those present were Murali Thummarukudy, an authority in disaster management and environmental response, Olof Linden, former professor at World Maritime University, petroleum chemical analysis expert Babu Pillai, environmental economist Shanthakumar and coastal clean-up expert Mike Coving. Senior state officials, including chief secretary, principal secretaries of disaster management and environment, chairman of Kerala state pollution control board and district collectors from affected areas, participated. Govt had been closely monitoring the situation since the vessel capsized.

After initial emergency actions, the expert meeting marked a strategic shift toward long-term damage mitigation and community protection. As a key public safety measure, fishing activity has been banned in a 20-nautical-mile radius from the site of the sunken ship.

Local self-govts and coastal fishing communities were issued specific advisories on what to do if they encountered debris such as damaged containers or unidentified materials onshore. Simultaneously, pollution control board mobilised rapid response teams to deal with possible oil spills. Equipment, including oil booms, was pre-positioned at river mouths and estuaries to contain any contamination.

With the presence of plastic pellets—also known as nurdles—posing significant ecological risks, state deployed volunteer squads to systematically clear beaches. Guided by drone surveys, volunteers were stationed every 100m along the affected coastlines. Their efforts were closely coordinated by police, fire and rescue services and pollution control board.

Strict instructions were issued to supervisors to ensure that volunteers followed all safety guidelines and avoided hazardous contact. State’s current response is aimed at averting long-term ecological fallout, protecting livelihoods and establishing a blueprint for managing such complex maritime disasters in future.