Thiruvananthapuram: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Wednesday issued a formal notice to MSC Shipmanagement Limited citing gross negligence in salvage operations of the sunken container vessel MSC ELSA 3, located off the southwest coast of Kochi.

“The progress made in this operation is grossly inadequate and continues to fall short of the timelines and operational commitments previously provided by the salvors and owners. Should the extraction of oil not commence within the next 48 hours, the Govemment of India shalt be left with no alternative but examine all avenues against the shipowners and salvors under applicable Indian legislation for the continuing threat posed to Indian waters and the coastal environment,” the notice issued by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said.

Despite early warnings and several coordination meetings, the shipowners and their appointed salvors T&T Salvage have failed to meet critical deadlines. The salvors not only delayed mobilising the required Diving Support Vessel and personnel, but also failed to file visa applications for saturation divers from 11 countries, even after the Indian government facilitated diplomatic support for their clearance.

The vessel, which lies at a depth of 51 metres, requires saturation diving for oil recovery. However, only limited air diving has been conducted so far, insufficient for the safe and complete extraction of oil trapped in the tanks. The oil extraction, initially scheduled to begin by June 5, has yet to commence. Vent capping, another crucial step, remains incomplete.

The DGS noted that this delay has led to the loss of a narrow weather window, as monsoon conditions are now setting in across India’s western coast, making further offshore salvage work extremely risky or entirely unfeasible.

“There is continued and serious risk to the marine environment and coastline of India, particularly affecting Kerala,” the notice warned, adding that fishing communities have already suffered severe economic setbacks due to pollution, oil sheen, and floating debris from the wreck.

The government has now placed MSC Shipmanagement Limited and T&T Salvage on final notice. If oil extraction is not initiated within 48 hours, the government will pursue civil and criminal proceedings under multiple Indian laws, including the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958; the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The warning comes amid a minor leakage from a tank releasing oil into the water column and forming a surface sheen. Currently, saturation diving is underway from the diving support vessel SEAMAC III to cap and seal leaks from the sunken ship, which continues to release oil into the surrounding waters, the latest situation report, released at 6 pm on June 11 said. Multiple vents and pipes contributing to the seepage have been sealed. While no active overflow is being observed, minor leakage persists from the sounding pipe of Fuel Oil Tank No. 22.

Onshore, recovery efforts have made considerable progress. A total of 58 containers have been salvaged and brought to port, while drone surveys continue to monitor beaches for submerged or fragmented debris.

Meanwhile, cleanup of plastic nurdles--tiny plastic pellets spilled during the incident-- is ongoing in Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari. 200 volunteers remain deployed in Thiruvananthapuram and around 1,600 volunteers have been mobilised since May 27 in Kanyakumari, with approximately 2,500 kg of nurdles collected daily. The Pollution Control Board (PCB) and the Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC) have finalised a warehouse site in Thiruvananthapuram for temporary nurdle storage, pending PCB approval scheduled for Thursday. In Kanyakumari, recovered nurdles are being transferred to a common facility, with full movement expected to conclude within 1–2 days.

The Fort Kochi Coastal police on Wednesday registered a case against the owner of the shipping company, the captain and the crew members of the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3. The ship had sunk about 14.6 nautical miles from Thottappally in Alappuzha district on May 24-25. The vessel had gone down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, according to the Ministry of Defence.