As of Tuesday noon, no oil spill from the cargo vessel that sunk off the Kerala coast on Sunday has made its way to the State’s shore, while the Indian Coast Guard is closely managing and observing the oil spill, defence sources said in a release.

In the meantime, AITUC State president T.J. Anjelose has demanded the setting up of a judicial commission comprising experts from relevant fields to ascertain whether the cargo ship was being operated in compliance with safety norms prescribed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). He also said that a study should be done on the long-term impact of the ensuing pollution on the marine eco system.

In addition, Central agencies must specify the name(s) of the hazardous cargo that the ship was carrying and its effect on marine and human life. A compensation package for fishers affected by the marine pollution too must be announced, he said and added that there was no justification for operating the vessel ‘close’ to the coast during turbulent weather.

Published – May 28, 2025 01:35 am IST