‘Private reports not enough’: High Court demands central govt action on sunken MSC Elsa-3

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has strongly criticized the year-long delay in removing hazardous cargo from the MSC Elsa-3, a container ship that sank in the Arabian Sea in May 2025. Expressing serious concern over the potential environmental fallout, the court noted that no authoritative scientific study has been conducted so far regarding the impact of the submerged cargo, adding that reliance on reports from private agencies alone is unacceptable.

A division bench comprising Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar suo motu impleaded the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the case. The court directed the Central Government to submit a comprehensive report by June 23, detailing the steps taken so far and the future course of action.

While the shipping company maintained that tons of fuel oil had already been safely pumped out of the vessel, the bench demanded a clear explanation regarding the scientific validity and safety of the recovery operations.

Meanwhile, the State Pollution Control Board informed the court that it has entered into an agreement with the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to conduct a joint Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The final report of this study is expected to be submitted by the end of July.

The court's directions came during the hearing of a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs), including one filed by Congress leader T.N. Prathapan, seeking adequate compensation for the local fishing communities whose livelihoods have been severely disrupted by the shipwreck.

Imminent ecological threat to coastal areas The High Court warned that the presence of hazardous materials like calcium carbide poses a direct and severe threat to coastal residents, especially with the monsoon season intensifying.

• Lethal Chemical Cargo: The vessel went down with 339.2 tonnes of calcium carbide on board. Legal and environmental experts warn that if rough sea conditions or strong undercurrents breach the hull and wash these chemicals ashore, it could trigger catastrophic damage and potential loss of life.
• Microplastic Contamination: Around 70 containers packed with industrial plastic nurdles remain trapped in the wreckage. There is an immediate risk that the turbulent monsoon seas could break these containers open, triggering an ecological disaster along the Kerala coastline.

Status of salvage operations The scale of the remaining wreckage highlights the slow progress of the salvage mission over the past year:

• Total Containers on Board: 643
• Containers Recovered So Far: 72
• Cargo Remaining At Large: 571 containers still lie trapped inside the flooded hull or scattered across the seabed, posing a continuous threat to marine life and safe navigation.