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Maritime pollution and rescue: SL moots PCV acquisition

01 Jan 2022

By Asiri Fernando Sri Lanka has held initial discussions with Indian officials on the possibility of acquiring a Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, The Sunday Morning reliably learns.  The move comes after Sri Lanka found her maritime pollution control capacity and capability lacking, following the MT New Diamond tanker fire incident and the marine pollution disaster caused by the Singaporean flagged MV X-Press Pearl container vessel last year. The X-Press Pearl incident, which the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) termed “the biggest marine pollution incident in Sri Lankan history,” saw tons of plastic hurdles and hazardous chemicals polluting the waters off the island’s western seaboard. Such was the scale of damage that a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment is still ongoing with assistance from foreign experts. In both incidents, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rushed two purpose-built Pollution Control Vessels to help manage the maritime emergencies following a request for assistance by the Sri Lanka Coast Guard. The Sri Lanka Navy, Coast Guard and Ports Authorities lack capable vessels to effectively respond to a large-scale marine pollution incident or emergencies offshore. A senior defence source, speaking on terms of anonymity, told The Sunday Morning that discussions were held last month on the possibility of acquiring a PCV from India to meet Sri Lanka’s pollution control and emergency response needs. “Such a vessel is invaluable to mitigate the impact from oil spills and chemical consignment leakages and to effectively fire-fight vessels that are ablaze. As an island nation with multiple ports and a large sea lane to our south, we need to have a robust emergency response and pollution control capability,” the source said, adding that the Sri Lanka Navy had supported the Coast Guard's request for capacity building for such contingencies. The Coast Guard and defence officials had indicated the need for such a vessel in 2017, but the request had been shelved due to budget constraints.   


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