brand logo

X-Press Pearl salvaging likely to be completed by September

20 Feb 2022

BY Pamodi Waravita  The Merchant Shipping Secretariat said yesterday (20) that the salvaging of the MV X-Press Pearl shipwreck will most likely last till September of this year, whilst the removal of debris that fell into the waters during the burning of the ship is most likely to be completed by April 2022.  “The debris removal process is occurring in two steps. We have to first remove the debris in the deep waters – this is almost finished. The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is currently conducting a survey on how to remove the debris in shallower waters, and we believe that the debris removal process will be completed before April this year – i.e. before the monsoon season begins,” Merchant Shipping Secretariat Director General (DGMS) A.W. Seneviratne told The Morning yesterday.  Commenting on the removal of the shipwreck from Sri Lankan waters – a process that is currently underway – Seneviratne said that the Shanghai Salvage Company (SCC) will likely finish as much work as possible before April this year (prior to the monsoon season), and then complete the rest in September 2022. The SSC was selected through an open tender for the wreck removal process. Two cranes are currently positioned on either side of the shipwreck and are due to raise the wreck to the surface of the ocean using 63 metal ropes. The ship will be halved in two before it is removed. Justice Minister (PC) M.U.M. Ali Sabry, who inspected the wreck removal process over the weekend, told media that the legal process to receive the due compensation is progressing.  “We have already received a small amount of compensation. However, we have contacted an Australian legal company to continue the process with us to ensure further compensation,” said Sabry. An initial interim payment of $ 3.7 million was paid as compensation to the affected fisheries sector and to cover the costs incurred by various agencies who fought the fire onboard the ship last year. Another interim payment of $ 1.75 million was paid to the fisheries sector this month as well. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry held a multi-stakeholder meeting recently with the High Commission of Australia to Sri Lanka and the Maldives to discuss what is needed to establish a maritime safety authority in Sri Lanka.  “The discussion was carried out to learn from the Australian experience on managing maritime disasters, in the aftermath of the MV-X Press Pearl, which is considered to be the worst such disaster to have ended up polluting the ocean with a cargo containing large quantities of hazardous and noxious materials, chemicals, and plastic nurdles.” Chairing the meeting, Acting Foreign Ministry Additional Secretary – Ocean Affairs, Environment, and Climate Change Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake highlighted that if there is to be any upside from this incident, it would be by it serving as a catalyst for building a more resilient system to prevent and respond to maritime disasters in the future.  This means prioritising maritime emergency preparedness and management through development of a maritime disaster preparedness plan and strengthening institutional basis for its implementation with adequate capacity building for the staff of relevant agencies,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press release last Saturday (19).  According to the statement, High Commissioner to Sri Lanka David Holly has said that having a maritime disaster management entity in the country could both address disasters in Sri Lankan waters and allow the country to act as a regional centre to complement other such entities in the Indian Ocean.  In what is termed as the “country’s largest marine environment disaster”, the MV X-Press Pearl ship caught fire on 20 May this year, approximately nine nautical miles away from the Colombo Harbour. A subsequent explosion on 24 May led to the fire spreading and a number of containers aboard it falling into the sea, thus releasing pollutants including plastic pellets into the water.  Since then, debris and deceased marine life have washed up on the country’s Western coastline, heavily affecting both the fisheries industry and the country’s marine environment. Reportedly, the ship had carried in its cargo about 25 tonnes of nitric acid, 300 metric tonnes (MT) of bunker oil, and 78 MT of plastic pellets or “nurdles”.  

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..