Chennai, May 29 (IANS) Environmental concerns are mounting following the sinking of the container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the coast of Kerala, as plastic nurdles — tiny pre-production plastic pellets — have begun washing ashore in Tamil Nadu’s Kanniyakumari district and are posing a threat for the eco-sensitive Gulf of Mannar.

The Liberia-flagged vessel sank on May 25, approximately 38 nautical miles off the coast between Vizhinjam and Kochi.

It was carrying 640 containers, including 13 classified as hazardous, along with substantial quantities of diesel and furnace oil.

The incident has led to a widespread dispersion of cargo, including plastic pellets, in the Arabian Sea.

In a worrying development, large quantities of nurdles packed in 25-kg bags began washing up on Kanyakumari beaches by Wednesday afternoon.

These pellets had already been reported on the shores of Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week.

Authorities believe prevailing ocean currents are pushing the spill southward, with the potential to impact the ecologically fragile Gulf of Mannar on the east coast.

The Gulf of Mannar is a critical marine biosphere reserve, home to coral reefs, seagrass meadows, dugongs, and sea turtles.

Experts warn that if the nurdles continue to drift eastward, the damage to this sensitive ecosystem could be severe.

Plastic nurdles are not inherently toxic but pose serious environmental threats.

Due to their small size and resemblance to fish eggs, they are easily consumed by marine animals, leading to internal blockages, malnutrition, and death.

Nurdles also absorb toxic pollutants from seawater, which can then enter the marine food chain and potentially affect human health.

Unlike oil spills, which can often be contained and cleaned, nurdles are buoyant and highly mobile. Once dispersed by tides and wind, they are virtually impossible to recover, making clean-up operations extremely challenging.

Officials from the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, the Department of Environment, and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board are working with local authorities to formulate an emergency response plan.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding committee formed by the Union Environment Ministry convened in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to assess the situation.

This marks India’s first major plastic nurdle spill caused by a shipwreck.

A similar incident in May 2021 off Sri Lanka’s west coast released 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets into the sea, but ocean currents at the time spared the Gulf of Mannar from contamination.

—IANS

aal/rad