Ship wreck case: Nurdles washed ashore along 36 coastal villages in TN's Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari, June 3
Plastic nurdles have washed up along the shores of 36 out of the 42 coastal villages in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district following the sinking of the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 off the Kochi coast on May 24.

District Collector R. Alagumeena confirmed the extent of the spread and said the cleanup operation is underway, with drone surveillance documenting the effort.

The spill has significantly impacted coastal habitats, particularly in Killiyoor taluk, where all 16 villages have been affected. In Kalkulam and Agastheeswaram taluks, 10 of the 13 coastal hamlets in each have also reported the presence of nurdles -- small plastic pellets used in manufacturing.

The plastic debris has reached as far south as Manakudi, a coastal village near Kanyakumari town.

According to officials, a container suspected to be carrying the nurdles washed ashore near the Vaniyakudi coast in Colachel last Thursday. It was retrieved by a team of experts and handed over to the Customs Department in Thoothukudi for further examination.

“So far, 858 bags of nurdles -- each weighing about 25 kg -- have been collected. On Monday alone, we cleared 248 bags,” said Collector Alagumeena.

The collected material is being temporarily stored at various fishing harbours across the district. She added that additional items such as wooden logs and some edible goods have also been found along the shoreline.

Thirty personnel from Gujarat-based Marine Environmental Research Centre (MERC), a private agency appointed by the ship operator, arrived on Monday to assist in the cleanup.

Alongside them, multiple local workers have been engaged in the operation. The collector assured that the removal process is being carried out as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling marine pollution.

She emphasised that continuous monitoring would be maintained, as more nurdles may continue to wash ashore in the coming days.

When asked about potential environmental and marine life impacts, Alagumeena said, “Only domain experts can assess the long-term ecological consequences.”

Regarding the demand for compensation for affected fishermen, she noted that the matter would be addressed by the state government.

Sources indicated that the sunken vessel was carrying a variety of goods, including plastic nurdles, calcium carbide, Marine Gas Oil (MGO), and Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO). However, no hazardous materials have been detected along the Kanyakumari coastline so far, officials said.