Debris from the sunken cargo vessel affects the coast along 22 villages in Kanniyakumari district

Ripple effect: A container that washed ashore at Vaniyakudi in Kanniyakumari district being recovered with the guidance of a three-member expert team from Gujarat.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A total of 22 coastal villages across the Killiyoor and Kalkulam taluks of Kanniyakumari district have been affected so far by the debris that washed ashore from the sunken Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC ELSA-3, off the Kerala coast on May 24. The debris included a container.

The vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil. While the initial impact of the incident was felt along the coast of Kerala, plastic pellets, wooden logs, and cashew nuts have begun washing ashore in the villages of Kanniyakumari in the past three days.

Kanniyakumari district has 42 coastal villages: 16 in the Killiyoor taluk, 13 in the Kalkulam taluk, and 13 in the Agasteeswaram taluk.

Of them, 12 villages in Killiyoor and 10 in Kalkulam have reported debris having been washed ashore from the sunken ship.

Large quantities of bags of plastic pellets and loose nurdles have washed ashore at Neerodi, Eraviputhenthurai, Enayam, Chinnathurai, Thoothoor, Periyavilai, Chinnavilai, Kadiyapattinam, Kurumbanai, Kodimunai, Simon Colony, and Mandaikaaduputhoor.

Wooden logs were found along the coast at Vallavilai, while a container washed ashore at Vaniyakudi. In Midalam, bags of cashew nuts and iron rods have been recovered.

After receiving information about the container, officials immediately alerted the authorities concerned. A three-member expert team from a shipping company in Gujarat, a coastal police commandant, and 8 coastal policemen arrived at Vaniyakudi on Friday to help in the salvage operations.

For the past three days, local body conservancy workers and NGO volunteers have been clearing the debris from the beaches.

The district administration has established a 24×7 control room for members of the public to report the debris found along the coast. They can contact the control room through the toll free number 1077 or the mobile numbers 8056005578, 9384824286, 9597433412, and 9003942998.