Tue Jul 01 18:35:03 UTC 2025: ## Kerala High Court Hears PIL Demanding $134 Million Security Deposit for Sunken Container Ship

**Kochi, India – July 2, 2025** – A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Kerala High Court seeking a $134 million environmental security deposit following the sinking of container vessel MSC ELSA 3 off the Alappuzha coast on May 25, 2025. Social activist Charles George, president of the Kerala Fish Workers Coordination Committee and Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Union, filed the petition citing a significant threat to marine biodiversity and potential economic devastation.

The MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 14.60 nautical miles offshore, carrying a hazardous cargo of 643 containers. Of these, 244 contained hazardous and noxious substances, 58 held foreign waste, and the vessel carried over 450 metric tonnes of marine fuel. George alleges that despite the confirmed presence of this dangerous cargo, adequate wreck removal and oil extraction efforts have not been undertaken.

The PIL highlights concerns about the deliberate misdeclaration or non-declaration of cargo, violating Indian Customs laws and international maritime conventions. George argues this poses significant risks to public safety, national security, and environmental integrity. The sinking threatens Kerala’s marine ecosystem, especially during the monsoon fish spawning season, putting oil sardines, a vital income source for coastal fishermen, at risk of extinction.

The petition points to regulatory failures, including cargo misdeclaration, lack of advanced container scanning at ports, insufficient port State control (PSC) measures, and attempts to evade liability through corporate structuring. George is seeking urgent judicial directions to secure $134 million as an interim security deposit for environmental and economic damage.

The PIL also requests the arrest of any MSC vessel within India’s Admiralty jurisdiction to secure maritime claims and calls for an immediate independent investigation into the alleged cargo misdeclaration. Furthermore, George is demanding the installation of advanced scanning, detection, and verification infrastructure at all Indian ports, alongside a court-monitored wreck removal and environmental remediation operation with a strict timeline.

The case is currently before the Kerala High Court.

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