MSC ELSA 3 wreck has caused significant marine and coastal pollution across the shores of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The Director General of Shipping (DGS) and the Union government have filed a joint statement informing the Kerala High Court that a response is awaited from the Indian Navy regarding assistance for an underwater operation to assess the structural integrity and status of the submerged MSC Elsa 3, the ship that sank off the coast of Alappuzha in Kerala in 2025.
The court was informed that the monsoon conditions over the wreck site were not conducive for conducting a safe and effective underwater operation. As soon as the Indian Navy responded in this regard, the government would take further steps and report to the Bench.
Marine pollution
The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar was considering a batch of public interest litigation filed in the wake of the shipwreck which had caused significant marine and coastal pollution across the shores of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The petitions sought the removal of the hazardous wreckage and compensation for fishermen affected by the incident.
The DGS had issued a notice to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), owner of the vessel, to remove the plastic nurdles, environmentally hazardous cargo and the remaining oil from the wreckage, and recover the containers and the consequent debris. It was reported that the shipping company replied to this notice a year after it was delivered.
The report pointed out that, as per the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007, the shipowner had the obligation to remove a wreck. Further, it was stated that the wreck does not appear to pose a danger to surface navigation. However, the hazardous cargo and other environmentally damaging material such as plastic nurdles and calcium carbide posed a threat to the marine environment, in case of a leak.
The court was informed that the assessment undertaken by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Institute of Oceanography could assist the court in assessing the environmental implications and potential risks associated with the wreck and in determining any further measures required in this regard.
Published – August 11, 2026 03:59 pm IST
