Shipwreck off Kerala: No major damage to Lakshadweep, but study urges stronger spill preparedness
A scientific assessment by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has found that the sinking of the container vessel MSC Elsa 3 off the Kerala coast in May 2025 did not cause measurable ecological or socio-economic damage to the Lakshadweep islands. The Chennai-based institute, functioning under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, conducted the study following directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The vessel sank approximately 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast at a depth of about 51 metres, carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 with calcium carbide. A significant quantity of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, washed ashore on the southern coast in the aftermath. The incident prompted the NGT to take suo motu cognisance of a report on drifting containers and ask the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to submit details of affected States and Union Territories.
For the Lakshadweep archipelago, characterised by ecologically sensitive coral reefs, lagoons and seagrass ecosystems, the NGT called for a precautionary, science-based assessment. The NCSCM team carried out field surveys, laboratory analyses, remote sensing, numerical spill trajectory modelling and stakeholder consultations at Kalpeni and Andrott islands to evaluate potential risks.
The study’s findings, based on multiple lines of evidence, indicate that physico-chemical parameters of seawater and sediments — including nutrients, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — remained within natural baseline ranges typical of coral atoll environments. Biological assessments found no stress or degradation in plankton communities, benthic assemblages, coral reefs, seagrass meadows or lagoonal habitats. Marine litter and microplastic observations reflected background conditions from chronic regional sources rather than incident-specific inputs.
Socio-economic evaluations showed that fisheries operations, access to fishing grounds, catch composition and tourism activities continued without interruption. No livelihood losses or adverse community impacts were reported. Numerical modelling of spill fate and transport suggested that contaminants from the shipwreck did not reach the Lakshadweep coastal or lagoonal environment during the assessment period.
Despite the reassuring findings, the research underscored the inherent vulnerability of remote island ecosystems to maritime accidents. The small, low-lying coral islands face constraints in waste handling due to limited land, fragile groundwater systems, high tourism pressure and dependence on imported goods. The study emphasised that mainland-centric waste management systems are unsuitable for such settings, and called for decentralised, low-footprint, circular economy-oriented solutions tailored to island conditions.
The report recommended strengthening maritime incident preparedness through early-warning systems, season-specific spill response planning, enhanced surveillance along key corridors such as the Nine Degree channel, co-ordinated inter-agency response mechanisms and sustained environmental monitoring. These measures, it said, would enhance resilience against future spill risks and protect the fragile island ecosystems.
