Summary Points:
Kerala files admiralty suit demanding ₹9,531 crore for environmental damage and economic loss from the May 25 MSC ELSA 3 sinking off Kochi.
High Court orders arrest of MSC Akiteta 2 at Vizhinjam port until compensation security is furnished.
Sinking caused widespread pollution from hazardous chemicals, plastic nurdles, and fuel leakage.
The Kerala government on Monday filed a major admiralty suit before the High Court, seeking ₹9,531 crore in compensation from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for the extensive environmental damage and economic losses caused by the sinking of the MSC ELSA 3 cargo vessel off the coast of Kochi on May 25.
In its petition, the state government claimed:
₹8,626.12 crore for damage to the marine ecosystem, coastline, and related state interests,
₹378.48 crore for measures taken to minimise and prevent further damage, and
₹526.51 crore for the economic losses faced by the fishing community.
The compensation was calculated based on guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The state, represented by Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup, urged the High Court to detain the MSC Akiteta 2—a sister ship of MSC ELSA 3—currently docked at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. The government argued that both vessels are managed, operated, and owned by affiliated entities of the MSC Group, making MSC Akiteta 2 liable as security until the company furnishes the ₹9,531 crore claim.
Justice M.A. Abdul Hakhim, presiding over the case, accepted the state’s plea and ordered the arrest of the MSC Akiteta 2, noting that the government had made out a valid maritime claim under Sections 4(1) and 5 of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017.
“I am satisfied that an arguable maritime claim is made out by the applicant,” the court observed, issuing a conditional arrest order for the vessel until compensation security is provided.
The MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 14.5 nautical miles off Kochi while en route from Vizhinjam, carrying over 640 containers, some of which contained calcium carbide, a chemical that produces flammable acetylene gas when exposed to water. Although all 24 crew members were safely rescued in a joint operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, the environmental impact has been severe.
In addition to fuel leakage from the sunken ship, tonnes of plastic nurdles—tiny plastic pellets used in manufacturing—began washing up on beaches in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. Environmentalists have warned that these microplastics pose a grave threat to marine biodiversity and could enter the human food chain through fish consumption.
The incident has sparked widespread concern and urgent calls for accountability, with the Kerala government now seeking judicial recourse to ensure polluters bear the financial responsibility for the ecological and economic fallout.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)