A looming environmental crisis is unfolding off the Kerala coast as the sunken cargo vessel ELSA 3, which went down on May 25, remains untouched with hundreds of tonnes of fuel and toxic chemicals still onboard. Located 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally, the ship is carrying 367 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil and 84 tonnes of marine diesel, posing a serious threat to marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.
Despite a July 3 deadline set by the Directorate General of Shipping, the ship’s owner — Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — has failed to act. The salvage operation came to a grinding halt after T&T Salvage, the globally renowned firm initially tasked with the job, withdrew from the site, citing “technical limitations.” However, maritime experts have called this an excuse, pointing out T&T’s proven track record in similar deep-sea recoveries across the world.
On June 12, divers from T&T had successfully sealed leaking pipes in the ship’s oil tanks and released footage confirming the progress. The company had also deployed cutting-edge equipment, dive teams from South Africa and Singapore, and support vessels. But soon after, operations were suspended, reportedly over the delayed arrival of pressure control systems. The dive crew returned to Kochi, and no further timeline has been confirmed.
While the fuel tanks are currently sealed, a bigger danger lies within the 12 containers onboard, which house highly hazardous chemicals such as calcium carbide and anti-oxidant rubber agents. Any contact with seawater could result in toxic chemical reactions, experts warn, escalating the environmental threat.
To make matters worse, the shipwreck sits in the middle of a key fishing zone, raising alarms among the fishing community. Fishermen fear that nets could snag on the wreck, and exposure to chemical leaks could devastate marine life and local economies.
With the monsoon season bringing rough seas from June to September, salvage work is unlikely to resume soon. MSC claims a new team may be brought in when weather conditions improve — but no concrete plan is in place.
Earlier, Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan emphasized that shipowners are legally bound under international maritime law to remove fuel, recover cargo, and clear wreckage. “A sunken ship cannot be abandoned,” he warned during a May 28 briefing.
As environmental concerns escalate, there is mounting pressure on authorities to intervene and fast-track the salvage — before a preventable disaster turns irreversible.
