Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 (UNI) AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to deploy a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to mitigate the impact due to an oil spill causing a threat to coastal communities of Kerala.
The Liberian container vessel that sank off the Kochi coast was carrying 623 containers, among which 13 are reported to contain hazardous material, including calcium carbide, raising the seriousness of the situation.
Given the potential scale of environmental degradation and threat to coastal communities, the Congress MP sought the deployment of a high-level expert team of NDRF comprising specialists in chemical, marine, and environmental safety to the affected coastal belt to assess the situation, mitigate the impact, and implement safety measures on a war footing.
The cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3, which was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, reportedly encountered adverse weather conditions and technical malfunctions, leading to the loss of multiple containers overboard, approximately 14.6 nautical miles off the coast of Thottappally Spillway in Alappuzha district.
Subsequently, the vessel has now submerged, raising the seriousness of the situation. Several of these submerged containers have now washed ashore at multiple coastal points, including Cheriyazheekal, Neendakara and Thrikkunnappuzha in the Alappuzha and Kollam districts.
The incident has triggered serious ecological concerns, especially regarding the potential spillage of hazardous chemicals and oil, which can have an alarming impact on marine biodiversity, fishing livelihoods, and public health.
It is imperative that the danger is defused at the earliest, and continuous monitoring by the concerned ministries is ensured.
The response must be swift, transparent, and people-centric so that no harm is caused to the common people, particularly the vulnerable fishing communities who depend entirely on the sea for their sustenance.
"I request your urgent intervention in establishing a coordinated mechanism at the highest level to manage this unfolding environmental emergency," he said.
UNI DS ARN PRS