Maritime Graveyard

#Maritime #Graveyard?

The recent back-to-back maritime incidents off the Kerala coast — the sinking

 of MSC ELSA 3 and the fire aboard MV Wan Hai 503 — raise serious environmental, regulatory, and security concerns. Both vessels reportedly carried toxic substances, yet there is a striking lack of transparency from both central and state authorities. 

With the Kerala coast increasingly appearing as a convenient dumping ground for outdated or dangerous cargo ships, the fear of it becoming a maritime graveyard for hazardous waste is not unfounded. The silence around the origin, inspection records, and cargo manifests of these ships points to potential gaps in international shipping oversight. The port authority accountability, and marine environmental safety enforcement are seen missing..

If these vessels were knowingly carrying dangerous substances near one of India’s most ecologically sensitive and densely populated coastlines, this could signal a severe lapse in both protocol and governance.

It is imperative that officials — from the Kerala Maritime Board to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways — provide clear, verifiable information about these incidents. The role of the Vizhinjam Port administration, particularly IAS officer Divya S. Iyer who is associated with Adani Port operations, also demands scrutiny.

Has there been a lapse in coordination or inspection? Have environmental clearance norms been compromised in favor of corporate convenience or under-the-table arrangements? 

The ministers, both at the Centre and in the State, cannot stay mute spectators to what may be unfolding into a major ecological and public health crisis. The people of Kerala deserve nothing less than full disclosure, swift investigation, and strict preventive measures. Authorities must come forward and make public all facts and findings related to these suspicious maritime events without further delay.

-K A Solaman