Singapore vessels for Wan Hai 503 containers that set fire in the sea on the coast of Kannur in Kerala | Photo Credit: Neither
The back accidents together off the Keraly coast, including the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 and an explosion on Singapore’s ships, raising questions about lax regulatory inspections carried out by different agencies on ships. The incidents also emphasize the need for a stronger port control regime (PSC) along with approaches to the details of dangerous cargo in real time.
The PSC regime assumes that it identifies non -standard ships in any port in India and ensures marine authorization before the vessels allow to sail from the port.
Ships registered in different countries, especially under the flag of comfort (FOC) – a system in which ships are registered in countries where there are the most effective regulatory regimes – must be exposed to routine inspections in different ports to ensure safety, maintenance, operating, etc.
According to reports, the 2000 was registered by MSC Elsa, a ship that sank the coast of Kerala on May 25, and in the past a dangerous substance has been marked in the past, which in the past represented a serious threat to the sea ecosystem and the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
In an interview with Hindu, head officer in the Office of the General Directorate for Transport, he stated that it was a business naval department that had to carry out periodic inspections both on the vessels registered in India and the IUs who were registered in foreign countries during the port of India.
“We do not think that there is some regulatory laxity or weakness in ensuring the safety of vessels callers in Indian ports.
Mathew’s naval law expert said it was about a month from the coast of Keraly. “There is a clear remissness in conducting a primary investigation and submitting a report in connection with the accident,” he said.
“Even at the moment I do not think that a complete detailed manifest of containers carrying dangerous materials on board MSC Elsa has been released,” Mathew said.
NS Pillai, chairman of the Kerala Naval Council, said that the state has no role in promoting the rules or conducting surveys and inspection of vessels, although shortcomings have been marked in the past.
“Our task is mainly to ensure the necessary infrastructure for anchoring vessels that call on the ports under the council,” he said.
Experts are of the opinion that the Center should effectively carry out the PSC regime and responsibility for such an accident.
Published – June 19, 2025 21:36
