Chennai, May 31: At least 22 coastal villages in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu are being reportedly affected by the wreckage from the sunken Liberian-flagged cargo vessel, MSC ELSA-3, which capsized off the Kerala coast on May 24.
As per reports, the debris including plastic pellets, wooden logs, and even a container, has been steadily washing ashore in the villages of Killiyoor and Kalkulam taluks over the past three days.
It is worth noting that Kanyakumari district has a total of 42 coastal villages — 16 in Killiyoor taluk, 13 in Kalkulam taluk, and 13 in Agasteeswaram taluk.
Of them, 12 villages in Killiyoor and 10 in Kalkulam have reported being affected by the incidents of debris washing ashore.
Some of the worst-hit areas include Neerodi, Eraviputhenthurai, Enayam, Chinnathurai, Thoothoor, Periyavilai, Chinnavilai, Kadiyapattinam, Kurumbanai, Kodimunai, Simon Colony, and Mandaikaaduputhoor, where large amounts of plastic pellets and loose nurdles have been found.
Wooden logs were recovered from the shore at Vallavilai, and a cargo container washed up at Vaniyakudi. In Midalam, residents discovered bags of cashew nuts and iron rods. Upon learning about the container at Vaniyakudi, authorities swiftly responded.
A three-member expert team from a Gujarat-based shipping firm, accompanied by a coastal police commandant and eight personnel, arrived on Friday to support salvage operations.
Meanwhile, local conservancy workers, assisted by NGO volunteers, have been working around the clock to clear the debris from the beaches.
To enhance response efforts, the Kanyakumari district administration has established a 24/7 control room for the public to report any sightings of debris.
Notably, the ship was reportedly carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide.
It also had 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil on board.
While the immediate impact of the sinking was felt along the Kerala coastline, debris has now started appearing further southeast in Tamil Nadu.
