MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck: National Institute of Oceanography to do environmental damage assessment

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The National Institute of Oceanography will do the environmental damage assessment and long-term study to assess the extent of environmental damage caused by the MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck incident off the Kochi coast. The ship carrying 640 containers capsized on May 25. The government has declared the wreckage of the ship a state-specific disaster, noting that the incident has raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for an oil spill and drifting of debris.
The Special Secretary of the Environment Department has been appointed as the Principal Impact Assessment Officer. The government has ordered that the Environment Department to house all the procedural requirements for impact assessment, restoration, and remediation across sectors in accordance with the law and for engaging with various scientific and research institutions/experts to procure their services for such studies.
The state government has authorised the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to engage NIO for the environmental damage assessment.
The PCB shall prepare the proposed study's Terms of Reference (TOR) in consultation with the government. The Director, Environment, will coordinate the activities related to onboarding of NIO and work related to environmental damage assessment by the organisation
According to the latest update from the Directorate General of Shipping, there is no evidence of oil leakage in the vicinity of the wreck following the successful capping of fuel oil tanks. Cleanup operations are underway in Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kanyakumari. Temporary storage sites have been identified in Kollam and Kanyakumari. Nurdle recovery is also ongoing.