The Kerala government will frame an Oil Spill Contingency Plan (OSCP) after the recent two shipwrecks that raised a serious threat to the marine ecosystem and coastal environment.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board has awarded the work of preparing the plan to a Bangalore-based firm. It will include mapping of environmental sensitive index of oil spills along of the coast of Kerala and preparation of response-focussed contingency plans.
Kochi shipwreck: A sunken ship and a sea of worries
The work, which included preparation of plans for crisis management and marine emergency response, is expected to be completed in eight months as per the work order issued by the board to the firm on June 27, 2025. The work is expected to be completed within eight months.
The decision to prepare the OSCP, which was initially mooted in 2016, was finalised after Kerala witnessed two incidents off its coast involving two separate vessels – MSC Elsa 3 and MV Wan Hai 503 – on May 25, 2025 and June 9, 2025 respectively. It will include oil spill contingency planning guidelines, wildlife response plans, ship board pollution emergency plans and tactical oil spill booming/site response plans.
