Why use public funds? Recover from shipping company: HC to Kerala over ELSA-3 shipwreck

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has intervened in the matter of the Liberian cargo ship MSC ELSA-3 that sank off the Kochi coast, instructing the state government not to abandon action against the shipping company. The state government had decided to file a case against the company only days after the incident, and that too based on a complaint filed by a fisherman.

The High Court questioned why public funds were being spent to control the pollution caused by the sunken vessel and directed the state to recover the expenses from the shipping company.

Currently, both the Central and state governments are reportedly spending crores of rupees to contain the oil spill and other pollution-related impacts. The court’s intervention came while hearing a petition filed by Congress leader T N Prathapan. It stressed the need for decisive action in the light of two recent maritime accidents.

The court further asked the state to clarify the mechanisms through which compensation can be recovered from the shipping company. It pointed out that damages to the fisheries sector and the broader economic and ecological environment must also be claimed from the company.

In addition, the court made it clear that both the Central and state governments are empowered to initiate legal proceedings in the matter.