‘Declare Vizhinjam Shipwreck A National Disaster’

On May 2, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vizhinjam international seaport in Thiruvanathapuram.

On May 24, a Liberian ship MSC ELSA 3, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, sank 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast with over 640 containers on board.

It included 13 hazardous cargo units and over 250 tonnes of calcium carbide, and calcium carbide reacts violently with water, producing acetylene gas, which is highly flammable.

Since the development of the port began, activists and environmentalists have been warning the area is ecologically fragile, climate-vulnerable and oceanographically risky.

With the shipwreck, all that they have been warning against, has happened.

Father Eugene H Pereira, vicar general, archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, and Chairman, Centre for Fisheries Studies, had called the port development an ‘environmental disaster‘ in an earlier Rediff interview.

“Do you know what the containers in the ship had? Hazardous materials and parts used in machine guns. After the shipwreck, metal links used in machine guns were found in the Chavakadu sea,” Father Pereira tells Rediff‘s Shobha Warrier.

Several environmentalists say the fragile coastline is the reason why the shipwreck happened. Do you feel so?

The first demand of ours even before discussions of the port construction started in 2010 was there should be an environmental impact study.

All the reports regarding the environmental impact and economic benefits came to the conclusion that this port would not be environmentally and economically viable.

In fact, several studies recommended that this should be declared a special economic zone.

The 2011 report by the ministry of forests and environment said that the northern part of the coastline would be heavily eroded and the fishing harbour would be adversely impacted which would in turn affect the livelihood of a large number of fishermen in the area.

The ministry even wanted them to identify another area as it felt Vizhinjam is an environmentally sensitive area.

What happened then was they just suppressed the original report and asked the Hyderabad- based INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) to write a new report which said there would not be any erosion in the north or accretion in the south.

We all know how they managed to get sanction from the environment ministry.

Jairam Ramesh was the minister at that time and all of a sudden, he was removed. That was because he had said very clearly about the adverse impact the port would have on the environment.

Commander John Jacob Puthur, a former officer with the Indian Navy who had studied the Indian coast extensively said at that time that the southwest monsoon winds, along with unseasonal winds, might affect the tranquillity of the proposed Vizhinjam seaport, making it dangerous for container ships, and that they would not be able to come to the port.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani and others after inaugurating the Vizhinjam seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, May 2, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

It is the monsoon season now, and what he had said more than a decade ago, has come true…

Yes, it has come true. Another danger he pointed out was, sediments that moved from the land to the sea due to rainwater would get accumulated at the bottom of the sea.

So, Vizhinjam port would silt during the southwest monsoon which would make it dangerous for ships to come to the port.

IMAGE: A view of the Vizhinjam seaport. Photograph: ANI Photo

For years, you along with the fishermen protested against the port. But when the port was inaugurated, all the political parties were there…

One of our demands was to study the impact of the port on the lives of fishermen.

Do you know 299 people have lost their houses already?

None of the political parties wanted science to prevail in the building of the port.

The Kudale committee appointed by the government came out with a report in 2023 which said that the soil erosion that was happening was due to climate change and not due to port development.

As our agitation was going on, we released a report prepared by some reputed scientists. While releasing the report, historian Ramachandra Guha remarked that it was a commendable scientific study.

Another point he made was the port was going to pose danger to national security.

Do you know what the containers in the ship that wrecked had? Hazardous materials and parts used in machine guns. After the shipwreck, metal links used in machine guns were found in the Chavakadu sea.

It is unfortunate that the authorities have not yet fully divulged the contents of the ship containers.

Even the movement of the ship is not divulged properly. Some say that it was coming from Colachel. Some others say it was moving from Vizhinjam to Cochin shipyard.

IMAGE: Containers from the MSC ELSA 3 that sank off Kochi on May 24 are spotted near the Kollam coast. Photograph: ANI Photo

Containers, oil, plastic and even hazardous material are washing ashore along the coast almost every day. How will this affect the lives of people who live in the coastal areas?

It is going to affect their livelihood and their health.

Contaminated oil spillage in sea waters has affected the livelihood of fishermen adversely. Not only that, it will also affect the environment and the biodiversity of the sea.

We have asked for a thorough probe on the shipwreck. They should divulge what the ship carried and the adverse impact it would have on the livelihood and health of the fishing community.

There should be an environmental, social and economic impact study stressing on the health aspect of the fishing community and common people.

IMAGE: Fishermen protest against the port development project in Vizhinjam. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives

The state government has declared the Vizhinjam shipwreck a state disaster…

What they are doing is an eyewash. After announcing it a state disaster, the government promised to give Rs 1,000 each to the fishermen.

The Vizhinjam shipwreck should be declared a national disaster because it concerns the sea and the security of the nation. What has happened is a big tragedy.

A proper committee of appropriate scientists should be set up to assess the impact of the shipwreck.

Using maritime laws, the government must charge the ship company and it must be made responsible for the disaster.

IMAGE: Father Eugene H Pereira, vicar general, archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram. Photograph: Kind courtesy Father Eugene H Pereira

As the port will continue to function, what kind of future do you see for the fragile coastline, the biodiversity of the area and the people living there?

It is very clear that the balance of the ocean is disturbed here.

This will have huge impact not just on fishing and the coastline but on the entire environment.

Our study has pointed out that while the Sankhumukham and Valiyathura beaches have disappeared, the same thing has not happened to some other nearby beaches which are said to be stable. Even the internationally famous Kovalam beach is disappearing. That’s because we have a very fragile coastline and beaches here.

This is affecting the tourism industry of this area.

At least before the 2nd and 3rd phase of the project, a thorough scientific study has to be conducted and truth should be brought out.

source : rediff