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Business Standard
a day ago
- General
- Business Standard
India seeks tighter container safety, cargo disclosure norms in IMO meet
After multiple incidents of vessel sinking and fires off Indian coasts, India has asked the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) to tighten container safety and cargo disclosure norms on a 'war footing'. The development comes at the heels of IMO's ongoing session of the Maritime Safety Committee, where India brought up the recent sinking of the Liberian-flagged vessel MSC ELSA 3 and a fire aboard the MV Wan Hai 503, which, according to officials aware of the matter, has still not been completely extinguished. 'These incidents highlight urgent safety concerns regarding cargo carriage on container ships. India urges a global review of packaging, stowage, and monitoring protocols of containerised cargoes, especially lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and plastic nurdles. The four incidents in quick succession within three weeks demand immediate action from stakeholders to protect seafarers' lives and the livelihoods of Indian fishermen and coastal communities,' the Indian delegation said at the maritime watchdog's safety meeting. India's stand at the meeting is that reliance solely on shipper declarations is not adequate — a call made repeatedly in the past by sector watchers around the globe. Shipowners/managers, especially container shipping lines, must adopt technology and take responsibility to prevent such incidents in a transparent manner. 'What is in a box can't be a mystery anymore. India calls on the IMO to develop stronger regulatory mechanisms for the safety of container ships, cargo management, and crew protection on a war footing,' the Indian delegation said. According to reports, MV Wan Hai 503 was carrying flammable solids (IMO Class 4.1) in 20 containers — including extremely flammable nitrocellulose with alcohol in two containers, naphthalene (crude or refined) in 12 containers, and flammable liquids in multiple containers. The vessel is also carrying over 4,900 kilograms of a spontaneously combustible (IMO Class 4.2) organometallic substance, which can combust when in contact with air and reacts with water. On May 25, MSC ELSA 3 sank 30 nautical miles southwest of Kochi. It carried 13 containers with International Maritime Dangerous Goods cargoes. Local reports, however, show a continued flow of plastic nurdles on the coast of Kerala, which are being cleaned up by local authorities. The Singapore-flagged Wan Hai 503 suffered an underdeck explosion and fire. The vessel carried 147 dangerous containers. Firefighting and towing operations, coordinated by the Directorate General of Shipping, are ongoing to prevent ecological harm. Both these incidents have caused major environmental damage to coastal fishing communities in Kerala — 65 containers have fallen overboard, many yet to be traced. Two more incidents involving vessels with flammable substances have also taken place in recent weeks off the coasts of Mumbai and Kerala. Safety investigations are ongoing, and India will share the findings of these probes at the next meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee. While the next committee meeting is scheduled for May 2026, a meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee is scheduled for October. 'Though these incidents involved foreign vessels and crew from other nationalities, we activated rapid search and rescue and emergency response,' India said.
India Today
2 days ago
- General
- India Today
Kerala launches app to report shipwreck debris as 65 containers wash ashore
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has launched a web application to collect information about objects found on land and at sea in connection with the recent shipwreck off the state's application will help collect key details from citizens including the name of the person who discovered the object, their mobile number, a description of the object, its location or nearest landmark, and initiative comes as 65 containers from the Singapore-flagged container vessel Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Beypore coast, on June 9, have been found along Kerala's shoreline. Among the recovered materials, 21 barrels were found in the Vizhinjam and Kovalam areas of Thiruvananthapuram district and have been moved to secure storage at Vizhinjam port. Two more barrels, believed to be related to the shipwreck, washed ashore in Alappad in Kollam district and Kumbala Koippadi in Kasaragod container ship Wan Hai 503 has now been moved 57 nautical miles away from the Kerala coast, with efforts ongoing to tow it further. However, reports indicate that fire and smoke are still present to the Indian Coast Guard, more containers may drift ashore in the southern parts of Ernakulam and along the Alappuzha and Kollam coasts. Authorities have warned the public not to approach or touch any suspicious objects they may find on the shore. People are advised to stay at least 200 meters away and immediately call the emergency number 112 to inform the May 25, a Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 completely sank 14.6 nautical miles off Kerala's Thottappalli spillway, prompting a large-scale pollution response by the Indian Coast sunken vessel was carrying 640 containers, including 13 classified as hazardous and 12 containing calcium carbide. It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil on board. IN THIS STORY#Kerala
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Oil extraction from MSC Elsa 3 to take more time due to monsoon: DGS
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on Wednesday said that due to the prevailing peak monsoon conditions and associated operational risks, it will take more time to extract oil from the Liberian-flagged ship that sank off the Kerala coast last month. The DGS said the present weather conditions provide only a 'narrow and fragmented working window,' which is unsuitable for 'stable and safe' oil extraction efforts. 'Further delay would provide a more reliable window to safely conduct hot tapping and oil recovery,' it said. It further said that the vessel Nand Saarthi -- from where saturation diving operations for oil extraction were to be conducted -- remains at the Kochi port due to prevailing adverse sea conditions. 'Upon improvement in weather, it will sail to the wreck site. Oil recovery equipment on board Nand Saarthi is to be transferred to Canara Megh for the next phase. All accessories and gases remain available and are being held for deployment once the new contractor takes over,' the DGS said. It further said that the SEAMAC III vessel, from which the divers were working to plug the oil leaks in the sunken ship, has been demobilised and was proceeding to Mumbai as all the leaks have been plugged. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted aerial sorties using Dornier aircraft equipped with Pollution Surveillance Systems (PSS) to look for any oil slicks, the DGS said. 'No oil slick has been observed approximately 60 nautical miles from the wreck site. Additional sorties are planned to continue monitoring the situation,' it added. Besides that, satellite imagery from the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is awaited to confirm whether there were any shoreline and offshore oil traces. Therefore, at present, the salvage operations are in a standby/caretaking phase till the new contractor takes over, it said. Regarding the clean-up operations, the DGS said that handling and disposal of plastic nurdles, which floated to the shores from the ship remains a concern. 'The Customs authorities have requested treating the recovered nurdles as bonded cargo. Approximately 65-75 tonnes is now stored shore-side, awaiting a final disposal decision,' the DGS said.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Modi tells Trump ‘India won't accept mediation', Delhi and Ottawa to repost envoys & more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told United States President Donald Trump that India will never accept mediation to resolve tensions with Pakistan. According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the topic came up during a phone call when Trump asked for the details about India's military strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on Pakistan in May. Trump was told that India had agreed to the ceasefire only on Islamabad's request, said Misri. The 'halt to military action was directly between India and Pakistan', the foreign secretary quoted Modi as having reiterated. The call between the two leaders came against the backdrop of the US president repeatedly claiming that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has rejected Trump's assertions. Read on. India and Canada have agreed to designate new high commissioners in each other's capitals. This was announced after Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. Other diplomatic steps 'to restore stability in the relationship' will 'follow in due course', said Misri. In October, India and Canada expelled several diplomats amid strained relations. This followed New Delhi's rejection of a Canadian communication that named India's high commissioner and other envoys as 'persons of interest' in an investigation. While it was unclear which investigation Ottawa was referring to, reports said that it was related to the June 2023 murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Read on. The Kerala High Court has ordered the arrest of a Liberian-flagged ship to secure claims related to cargo losses incurred after its sister vessel sank off the Kochi coast in May. The conditional arrest would be lifted if the vessel's owner, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, deposits Rs 74 lakh or furnishes adequate security in court. On June 13, the High Court issued a similar order to detain another vessel operated by the same company following petitions from five other cargo owners who also lost shipments in the sinking. The vessel that sank was carrying 640 containers, including 13 hazardous cargo and 12 calcium carbide containers. The Kerala government had declared the wreckage a state-specific disaster. Read on. The Supreme Court has questioned the Tamil Nadu government and the Madras High Court on the arrest and suspension of Additional Director General of Police HM Jayaram in connection with his alleged involvement in the abduction of a 17-year-old boy. 'These kinds of orders are shocking and demoralising,' said the court. While Jayaram's counsel told the Supreme Court that he had been formally arrested, the state government maintained that he was not arrested but had merely joined the investigation. Read on.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Scroll.in
Kerala HC orders arrest of another sister ship of sunken vessel to recover losses
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered the conditional arrest of Liberian-flagged ship MV MSC Polo II for securing claims related to cargo losses incurred after its sister vessel, MSC Elsa 3, sank off the Kochi coast on May 25, Live Law reported. Justice MA Abdul Hakhim passed the order in a suit filed by Sans Cashew India Private Limited, which claimed its consignment worth Rs 74 lakh was lost due to the sinking. MSC ELSA 3 was on its way from Vizhinjam to Kochi and carrying 640 containers, including 13 hazardous cargo and 12 calcium carbide containers, when it sank 'reportedly due to flooding in one of the holds', the Indian Coast Guard had said. On June 13, the High Court had issued a similar order to detain another vessel that is also operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company following petitions from five other cargo owners who also lost shipments in the incident, The News Minute reported. The order secured nearly Rs 6 crore as a conditional deposit for the release of the ship, Bar and Bench reported. On Wednesday, Hakhim said that the conditional arrest of MSC Polo II would be lifted if the vessel's owners deposit Rs 74 lakh or furnish adequate security in court. The court also clarified that the arrest can only be made when the ship is anchored within the territorial jurisdiction of Kerala. The ship is currently en route to Vizhinjam Port, according to Bar and Bench. The court ordered the arrest on the basis that the shipping company has no assets in India. The matter will be heard next on June 23. On May 29, the Kerala government declared the wreckage of MSC ELSA 3 a state-specific disaster.
