News
Investigations and monitoring continue of SL coastline as plastic pellets and debris wash ashore
View(s):- Authorities believe likely cause is the Wan Hai 503 container ship that caught fire near the maritime boundary off Kerala
- The risk of eating fish is minimal, says expert
By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Hiran Priyankara
Plastic pellets and debris from a foreign cargo ship that caught fire off the coast of India are now washing ashore along Sri Lanka’s western, northwestern, and northern coastlines, prompting a wave of investigations and coastal monitoring by authorities and environmental groups.
The Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged container ship, caught fire near the maritime boundary off Kerala, India, following an explosion in one of its hazardous cargo holds. The fire broke out around 100 nautical miles from the Indian coast. While 18 crew members were rescued, four remain missing. Indian Coast Guard teams have since been engaged in efforts to control the blaze.
As strong winds and ocean currents persisted, materials suspected to be from the ship, including plastic pellets, began washing ashore by June 12, particularly from Chilaw to Kalpitiya’s Donkey Point. Environmentalists say the pellets resemble the type released during the MV X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021.
Plastic pellets and debris being washed ashore in Kalpitiya. Pic by Hiran Priyankara
Prof. Terney Pradeep Kumara, Director General of the Coastal Conservation Department, confirmed that plastic nurdles were found in Kalpitiya. “The ship was carrying plastic nurdles. The issue is now verifying whether they’re from this ship or another source, possibly even leftover from the X-Press Pearl. They were packed in bags, and there’s a chance those bags have degraded over time,” he explained.
Prof. Kumara noted that while nurdles could pose a risk through bioaccumulation in migratory fish species, the harm could be reduced. “Nurdles are typically made of virgin plastic and aren’t inherently toxic. Since we remove fish digestive systems before eating, the risk is low.”
Multiple inquiries are underway by both government agencies and civil society groups, who are collecting data. “We are supporting cleanup if needed, and MEPA [Marine Environment Protection Authority] is conducting the main investigation.”
At a press conference held by the Environment Ministry this week, officials deduced that the most likely cause of the nurdle washover was the Wan Hai.
MEPA officials stated that daily monitoring continues along the Puttalam District coast, adding that a significant volume of nurdles, nor plastic, has not yet been reported from there. Cleanup operations have not been launched in those areas as a result. Authorities, however, confirmed that larger amounts of debris have reached the beaches of Mannar and Jaffna, where cleanup operations began on June 13.
Fisherfolk have also reported large amounts of plastic fragments scattered along the shoreline.
This incident follows another shipping disaster just two weeks earlier, when a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank 14.6 nautical miles off Cochin Port in Kerala due to mechanical failure and flooding during rough seas.
That ship was transporting approximately 640 containers, including 13 labelled as containing ‘hazardous cargo,’ primarily calcium carbide. While no direct impacts have been observed in Sri Lankan waters, both the Marine Environment Protection Authority and the Sri Lanka Navy remain on alert.
The Kerala government has since declared the sunken ship a state-specific disaster due to environmental concerns and debris washing ashore. All 21 crew members aboard that vessel, including nationals from Russia and the Philippines, were safely rescued.
The back-to-back incidents have renewed concerns about transboundary marine pollution in the Indian Ocean region and the need for regional coordination on environmental disaster preparedness.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!