Kanniyakumari District Collector R. Alagumeena inspecting the plastic pellets segregation work at Kodimunai.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Kanniyakumari District Collector R. Alagumeena visited the Midalam and Kodimunai beaches on Tuesday to inspect the ongoing removal of the plastic pellets washed ashore from the damaged containers of the sunken Liberian vessel off Kochi coast on May 25 last.

As the ship, MSC Elsa 3, carrying more than 600 containers went down as it was sailing to Kochi Harbour on May 25 last due to suspected engine failure, some of the damaged containers holding plastic pellets, logs, cashew etc. were washed ashore in the coastal hamlets of western Kanniyakumari district on May 28 evening and also in the areas like Poovar in Kerala.

Since social media posts claimed that containers carrying highly hazardous chemicals were being washed ashore to cause serious pollution to marine life, the district administration clarified that only non-hazardous materials were getting washed ashore along the shoreline of the villages and there was no panic for pollution.

Though the fishermen and the villagers were cautioned against making any attempt to collect the plastic pellets or other materials being washed ashore, the villagers in large numbers collected the cashew for their use even as heavy equipment was used to remove the containers got stuck on the seashore.

On receiving the protocols from the Kerala government for removing the products including the plastic pellets from the seashore, Ms. Alagumeena deployed the police, revenue, fire and rescue services, disaster management and pollution control board personnel for the operation. She also contacted the shipping company’s officials in Gujarat who rushed a team to the affected villages of Kanniyakumari district for removing the plastic pellets and other products.

“While the products in one container have been handed over to the Department of Customs and Central Excise, Thoothukudi, other products collected from the seashore are being kept under the custody of respective local bodies. Removal of the plastic pellets from the seashore is going on. Repeated inspections at various spots of the coastal hamlets are being done and we are sure that there is no chemical pollution in any part of the district. We are also creating awareness among the coastal community about handling of the plastic pellets,” Ms. Alagumeena said.

Sub-Collector of Padmanabhapuram Vijaykumar Meena accompanied the Collector during the inspection.