Shipwreck spill hits ‘Malinya Muktham' campaign in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the world prepares to celebrate World Environment Day on Thursday under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution, Kerala faces a significant environmental crisis. A shipwreck off the state's coast has released tons of plastic nurdles—tiny pellets used in manufacturing—polluting the shorelines of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. These nurdles pose a serious threat to marine life, public health, and the state's ambitious 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign, which aims to achieve a garbage-free Kerala by March 2026.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, social activist Magline Peter said that the entire shoreline of the capital is now covered in nurdles. She expressed concern that the local communities remain unaware of the hazardous situation, lacking information about necessary precautions and the actions being taken to address the crisis. 'There is no transparent communication to resolve this issue. A week has passed, but little action has been taken to clean the nurdles up,' she said.
Since its launch, the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign has focused on reducing plastic use, implementing door-to-door collection of non-biodegradable waste, and ensuring proper waste management. The nurdle spill represents a significant setback to these efforts.
LSG Minister M B Rajesh said that the government has begun efforts to remove the nurdles. 'While the Local Self-Government Department is not directly involved, the Environment Department is coordinating cleanup activities,' Rajesh said.

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