Shipwreck: Thin oil spill found, no calcium carbide containers ashore

Thiruvananthapuram | So far, no calcium carbide containers have washed ashore, and what has been detected is a thin layer of oil spill after the Liberian vessel sank with hazardous cargo on board off the Kerala coast, according to Sreekala S, chairperson of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB).

Following a high-level meeting held here and the submission of a status report to the state government, the KPCB chairperson told PTI that ships were unable to spray dispersants at sea to break up the oil spill due to rough conditions, and that aircraft are now being used for the task.

"The waves are four to five metres high, and ships cannot spray the dispersants. If we come across thickened oil, we use jute sacks filled with sawdust to absorb it," Sreekala said.

She said that if the oil reaches the shore, beach cleaning would have to be carried out in coordination with officials from the Pollution Control Board and the district administration.

"The oil-contaminated sand will need to be scooped out and sent to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited, a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility located at Ambalamugal, Kochi. We have contacted them, and they are ready with equipment and trucks to transport the sand,” Sreekala said, adding that so far, there has been no presence of oil either in Kollam or in Alappuzha, where the containers washed ashore.

"We have collected water samples from all these areas," she said.

The chairperson said that fears regarding calcium carbide mixing with seawater are, for the time being, unfounded.

"We have no reports of any containers carrying calcium carbide reaching the shores," she said.

However, if such an event occurs, the Fire Force, Chemical Explosives Department, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, and the Department of Factories and Boilers will coordinate to safely manage the threat.

"They have a protocol in place for that. Scientifically, if calcium carbide mixes with water, it can produce acetylene gas and calcium hydroxide. Acetylene is a highly inflammable gas when it comes into contact with water. It cannot be extinguished with water-- dust or clay powder is used to douse such fires," Sreekala said, adding that all necessary precautions are in place if such a situation arise.

In order to prevent the oil spill from reaching the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes, the KPCB will issue a letter to the Coast Guard through the State Disaster Management Authority requesting the placement of boomers.

"The letter is ready, requesting the Coast Guard to place boomers at Thottappally Spillway to prevent the spread to Vembanad, and at Neendakara to prevent the spread to Ashtamudi Lake. If the Coast Guard does not have the required number, we will have to source them from elsewhere," Sreekala said.

She added that the KPCB has been on high alert since the evening of May 24, issuing instructions to its field officers to monitor and manage the situation along the entire coastline from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.

"Then we were informed that the containers were moving towards the southern direction, and our officials were sent to Kollam and Alappuzha. They are coordinating with other agencies," she said.

The Chairperson added that the recovery and management of the containers would be handled by the Directorate General of Shipping and other relevant authorities, and that the high-level meeting was held to discuss the various possible scenarios.

The ship carrying cargo from Vizhinjam to Kochi, capsized around 38 nautical miles from the shore and later sank with containers carrying hazardous cargo.

According to official sources, the ship had a total of 643 containers on board, of which 73 were empty and 13 were carrying hazardous and dangerous goods, including calcium carbide -- a chemical that reacts violently with water to release highly flammable acetylene gas.