Latest news with #MVWanHai503
Time of India
23-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
As maritime accidents increase, Coast Guard poised to get 2 new pollution-control vessels
Panaji: Amid a rise in maritime accidents in Indian waters, the Indian Coast Guard is set to get two additional vessels to combat onboard fires and oil spills. Goa Shipyard Limited launched a 114-metre-long pollution-control vessel, Samudra Prachet, for the Coast Guard on Wednesday, at its shipyard at Vasco. The indigenously designed pollution-control vessel is the second of the two that the Coast Guard ordered from the defence public sector undertaking. Samudra Prachet follows Samudra Pratap, which was launched in Aug last year, and GSL will deliver the two ships to the Coast Guard in the coming quarters. Director general of the Coast Guard, Paramesh Sivamani, emphasised the strategic importance of advanced pollution-control vessels in strengthening India's capacity to protect the coastal environment and respond to pollution emergencies. Sivamani said that pollution-control vessels play a 'pivotal role' in safeguarding India's marine ecosystems. Incidents in the maritime sector involving Indian seafarers and foreign vessels in Indian waters rose by 21% in 2024 to 186, said India's shipping regulator, directorate general of shipping, in its Maritime Safety Investigation Report 2024. An upward trend was observed in total collision incidents, rising from five in 2023 to 10 in 2024. The recent fire onboard MV Wan Hai 503, which started with explosions when the ship was some 44 nautical miles off Kerala on June 9, illustrates the potential danger aboard cargo ships. GSL chairman and MD, Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, said that 72% of the machinery and raw material used to build the two pollution-control vessels is indigenous. The 4,170-tonne vessel will be operated by 14 officers and 115 sailors. It is equipped with two side-sweeping arms capable of collecting oil spills while under way, as well as a modern radar system for detecting oil slicks. The vessel is engineered to recover oil, pump in contaminated water, analyse and separate pollutants, and store recovered oil in dedicated onboard tanks. A day earlier, Sivamani's wife, Priya, inaugurated the Coast Guard Kindergarten School at Chicolna, Vasco. The school will also cater to locals.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Centre approves projects for artificial reefs along Kerala coast
Kochi: The Union fisheries ministry approved projects worth Rs 13.02 crore for the installation of artificial reefs along the Kerala coast. The initiative aims to rejuvenate and restore fish stocks for long-term sustainability and biodiversity protection, with coordinated efforts from related ministries, Union fisheries minister of state George Kurien said in a reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The minister was responding to queries from Congress MPs Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose and Kodikunnil Suresh regarding financial assistance to fishing communities in Kerala. This assistance was necessitated by disruptions to fishing activities following the sinking of cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 and the fire on container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 off the Kerala coast. The Union minister said that with regards to MSC Elsa 3, the state govt informed that fisherfolk, especially those from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts, were affected from May 25 to June 1, 2025. Interim relief was already provided to the affected fisherfolk. Financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per family was given to 1,05,518 marine fisher families — including 78,498 marine fisher families and 24,020 allied fisher families — from the SDRF, along with 6kg of rice per family to compensate for their livelihood loss due to the mishap. Kurien said that a joint coordination committee was constituted by the Kerala govt. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo This committee included representatives from Kufos, CMFRI, CIFT, the state pollution control board, food safety, the national health mission and coastal police. Their task was to review the scenario and conduct necessary sampling and testing of water and fish in accordance with standard protocols. The test reports revealed that the fish samples were in good condition, with no objectionable smell or flavour observed, and the pH, salinity and conductivity of water samples were within the normal range. The preliminary analysis of water and fish samples showed no trace or presence of oil content and no direct evidence to prove the presence of hazardous chemicals. The fish samples from the coasts of Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kollam were deemed safe for consumption. The minister also informed that National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was entrusted, through the environment department of Kerala, to undertake a multisectoral loss assessment and impact study, both short-term and long-term.
Deccan Herald
30-06-2025
- Science
- Deccan Herald
Oil spills call for new response
Following accidents involving the Liberian vessel MSC ELSA 3 and the Singaporean container MV Wan Hai 503, both along Kerala's coast, the Arabian Sea's vulnerability to marine transit hazards was further exposed when oil tankers ADALYNN and Front Eagle collided near the Strait of Hormuz on June 17, sparking massive fires. These back-to-back incidents underscore a critical reality: as India's maritime traffic surges, so does its exposure to oil spills that demand immediate policy intervention and technological response to such incidents demonstrates both India's maritime monitoring capabilities and critical gaps that threaten long-term coastal security. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Indian Coast Guard (ICG), and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) coordinated effectively to monitor the oil slick and implement containment measures soon after the sinking of the Liberian vessel. CMFRI's ongoing coastal surveys following the accidents can be extremely useful for disaster management by the country's coastal and oil spill advisory issued after fire on container ship off Kerala EOS-04 satellite provided spatial images, using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors capable of monitoring oil spills regardless of lighting or weather. However, this reliance on a primarily Earth observation satellite highlights a concerning gap in India's dedicated ocean monitoring infrastructure. The dependence on multi-purpose satellites creates potential conflicts between monitoring priorities and limits specialised maritime surveillance current oil spill trajectory modelling relies on adapted versions of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s General NOAA Operational Modelling Environment (GNOME) tool. These generalised international models using broad parameters and spatial data of coarse resolutions might struggle with India's unique peninsular coastline, without localised data inputs and specialised algorithms to predict oil spill behaviour. These limitations become pronounced during monsoon periods, when tropical ocean patterns dramatically alter, necessitating a region-specific technology deployment. More critically, the sensors can only detect oil presence or absence, not its types – information crucial for determining appropriate response spills create cascading impacts across sectors and environmental damage beyond visible contamination – from marine biodiversity to coastal economy, from health impact on coastal communities to losses in the energy sector. Yet these impacts rarely factor into policy well in Assam capped after 16 days of gas leakage: most concerning is the absence of comprehensive regulatory frameworks governing maritime pollution incidents. The absence of mandatory state-level oil spill contingency plans for vessels transiting Indian waters represents a significant policy gap. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) also lacks independent capacity including boats and satellite data, enhancing dependencies on central to National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, last updated in 2014, suffers from weak enforcement mechanisms and fragmented institutional oversight. The divided but overlapping authority between ICG, Pollution Control Boards, port authorities, and Directorate General of Shipping creates coordination challenges leading to delays in legal action against polluters. The tiered response structure also creates bureaucratic bottlenecks during major recent incidents highlight the need to focus on addressing India's maritime vulnerability that requires dedicated technological infrastructure designed for ocean monitoring. Deploying satellites with advanced sensors capable of oil type identification would enable real-time characterisation of pollutants, allowing immediate deployment of appropriate response technologies. These sensors, already available, could transform response effectiveness from generic containment to targeted and decentralised geospatial dashboards integrating real-time satellite data, weather information, vessel tracking, and response resource locations would provide comprehensive situational awareness. Enhanced inter-agency coordination between state disaster management authorities and national agencies like INCOIS and ICG requires structured training programmes and regular joint exercises. Rather than expecting universal expertise, shared capacity-building can enable seamless coordination during emergencies. Regular interactive training exercises in the state's specific geographic conditions would identify operational gaps and improve response Kerala chapter shows that the maritime future of Indian coastal states depends on transforming reactive crisis management into proactive risk prevention. This requires immediate investments in dedicated ocean monitoring satellites, comprehensive regulatory frameworks with robust accountability measures, and integrated response systems designed specifically for India's tropical coastal environment. The technology exists – what's needed is commitment to implement comprehensive maritime ecological safeguards before the next inevitable spill tests India's resilience..(The writer is a research analyst at the Takshashila Institution)
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Dolphins and whales continue to wash ashore on Alappuzha coast
In less than a month, five marine mammal carcasses - four dolphins and two whales - have washed ashore on the Alappuzha coast, sparking concern among authorities and researchers. The latest were found at Challi, near Punnapra, where two dead dolphins were found on June 23 and 24. The carcasses were buried following autopsies. On May 28, the carcass of a dolphin washed ashore near the Valiyazheekkal beach. Two days later, another dead dolphin was found at Pathiyankara. Two dead whales were found at Purakkad on June 14 and 17. The repeated washing ashore of whales and dolphins has raised alarm amid growing concerns over marine pollution following the sinking of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 off the Thotappally coast in Alappuzha on May 25 and a fire on board the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the Kannur coast earlier this month following an explosion. The two incidents have sparked fears of potential oil spills and chemical contamination, as some containers aboard MSC Elsa 3 and others that fell overboard from MV Wan Hai 503 are believed to contain hazardous materials. B.R. Jayan, Range Forest Officer, Ranni Range, said they were awaiting forensic examination reports to identify the exact cause of death of the dolphins and whales. Mr. Jayan said that nothing suspicious had been found in the post-mortem examinations. The preliminary assessment by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), following the ship accidents, found no significant changes in the water quality or species composition of the region. Ratheesh Kumar R., Senior Scientist at the CMFRI, said the possibility of a direct link between the deaths of dolphins and whales and the shipwreck was very low. 'The sea is very rough. Dolphins and whales use echolocation to navigate. The turbulence in the water can interfere with their communication. This may prevent them from detecting ships, increasing the chances of collisions. The carcasses of dolphins and whales that die in the open sea are often washed ashore, depending on wind direction. Though our primary assumption is that the deaths are not related to the shipwreck, we are not completely ruling it out. We are conducting studies to determine if there is any connection,' said Mr. Ratheesh. Following the capsizing of MSC Elsa 3 on May 26, containers from the vessel drifted ashore along the Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari coasts. Similarly, a container and a lifeboat from MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire on June 9, washed ashore in Alappuzha last week.
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Business Standard
22-06-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Kerala's fishing economy reels from back-to-back maritime disasters
Kerala's coastal communities are on edge after two major maritime accidents in the Arabian Sea within a short span, threatening not only fragile marine ecosystems but also the livelihoods of thousands who depend on them. The back-to-back incidents—first involving the MSC Elsa 3, followed by a fire aboard MV Wan Hai 503—have triggered bans on fishing, fears of contamination, and disruptions to the state's marine economy. According to Kerala Fisheries Statistics 2021, over one million people in the state depend directly or indirectly on fisheries, including more than 2.4 lakh active fishermen across 222 marine fishing villages. When did the incidents occur? The MSC ELSA-3, a Liberian-flagged container ship carrying 640 containers (including hazardous materials like calcium carbide), capsized and sank on May 25, about 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, off Kerala's coast. The MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged container vessel, caught fire on June 9, roughly 78 nautical miles off Beypore, Kerala, following an under-deck explosion. After the MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck, authorities imposed an eight-day fishing ban within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the wreck site. The timing could not have been worse—it coincided with the onset of the monsoon season, typically a peak period for fish catch. In 2020-21, Kerala produced 6.15 lakh tonnes of fish and prawns, highlighting the scale of economic activity now at risk. The government's interim relief included ₹1,000 and 6 kg of rice per family, a measure many in the fishing community criticised as inadequate. 'June to September is when we earn the most. This amount doesn't even cover two days of work,' said a fisherman from the Alappuzha-Kollam region, highlighting how compensation fell below the daily minimum wage. Meanwhile, ongoing efforts to remove marine sediments from affected coastlines in Alappuzha, Kollam, and parts of Thiruvananthapuram have made uneven progress. Although communities have resumed fishing in some areas, fears of contamination persist. Environmental fears mount Experts say that while no mass fish deaths have been reported so far, the real danger may lie in delayed ecological impacts. 'If the water is not treated and sediments are not properly removed, this could lead to long-term consequences,' said a local fishing union representative. 'It's not just our community—this could affect people inland too, through the food chain and market supply.' Kollam, which usually lands around 35,000 tonnes of fish daily, has seen a steep drop in supply and demand alike. Several fish markets have reported little or no demand for days, as people are worried about possible contamination from hazardous cargo and oil spills. This has led to a direct loss of income for thousands of families who depend on fishing. According to Dr Sajeevan, professor at Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), misinformation about contamination is already hurting fish sales. Many regular fish eaters are switching to alternatives like meat or avoiding fish from affected areas altogether, he said. Scientific teams deployed to assess impact The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has deployed teams to assess environmental and economic fallout. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the National Institute of Oceanography are also expected to conduct studies on water quality and ecological recovery. 'Proper scientific monitoring and treatment are essential to contain long-term damage,' Dr Sajeevan added. 'We may not be seeing marine organism deaths now, but that doesn't rule out contamination. The impact on spawning, migration, and species diversity could emerge over time.' The way forward While cleanup operations are underway, fishers and environmentalists alike are demanding stricter regulation of maritime traffic near coastal zones and faster relief mechanisms. Experts are also calling for a contingency plan to protect coastal economies from future maritime mishaps. 'The government must establish a coordinated response framework that includes emergency cleanup, livelihood protection, and scientific risk assessments,' said a CMFRI official. 'Kerala's marine economy cannot afford repeated shocks.' For now, coastal families wait anxiously—not just for fish to return to their nets, but for assurance that their waters, and their futures, remain safe.
