Thiruvananthapuram: The removal of the sunken ship MSC ELSA 3 and its containers off the Kerala coast will only be undertaken after monsoon, according to an official note from Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak. The note summarises a discussion held between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan on May 29.

As per the plan, oil trapped in the hull of the vessel will be extracted by experts on July 3. Until then, or until buoys are placed around the sunken ship, fishing activities will be restricted within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the site.

Additionally, the state government has decided that a criminal case will not be filed immediately against the shipping company. Instead, the focus would be on collecting concrete evidence of environmental and other damages, which would strengthen the government's claim through insurance.

The note further states that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which owns the vessel, is a key stakeholder in the Vizhinjam International Seaport project and maintains a long-standing relationship with the state. Both parties have a shared interest in settling the matter through the insurer, and that any claim raised by the state should be “based on strong evidence and without any compromise.”