In the wake of the cargo vessel MSC ELSA 3 capsizing off the Kerala coast, the state government has officially declared the incident a state-specific disaster and rolled out an emergency relief package. Over 1.05 lakh families affected across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam districts will receive ₹1,000 and 6 kg of rice per family, funded by a ₹10.55 crore allocation from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
The Liberian-flagged ship, carrying 643 containers—some with hazardous materials like calcium carbide and hydrazine plastics—sank on May 25, 38 nautical miles off the Kochi coast. At least 100 containers fell into the sea, and 54 have already washed ashore, littering the coastline with plastic pellets (nurdles) and other pollutants.
Cleanup operations are in full swing with drones mapping contamination zones, while civil defence teams, police, and volunteers are on the ground. Fishing has been banned within a 20-nautical-mile radius, severely impacting coastal livelihoods. A claims desk has been established in Kochi, and Captain Aneesh Joseph has been appointed to coordinate insurance support for affected communities.
Despite environmental concerns, authorities have assured that seafood remains safe for consumption. However, the fear and misinformation around contamination have already disrupted the local fish market.
Fishermen’s unions have slammed the compensation as inadequate. The Kerala State Fishermen Coordination Committee has threatened legal action, citing that ₹1,000 is nowhere near sufficient given the combined impact of the shipwreck and ongoing monsoon-related hardships.
With fishing bans persisting and economic losses mounting, the government is under pressure to expand the relief package and accelerate cleanup and recovery efforts.
