Millions of plastic pellets continue to wash ashore in Sri Lanka following two recent shipwrecks off the southern and south-western coasts of India.
Environmental groups have reported a sharp increase in plastic pellet pollution along Sri Lanka’s western coastline, affecting areas from Jaffna, Mannar, and Puttalam down to Galle.
Sampling conducted by Greenpeace South Asia and other organizations confirmed that the plastic pellets, including coated chemicals, originated from the container ship MSC ELSA 3.
At a recent media briefing, environmental and civil rights activists called for stronger regional mechanisms to hold polluters accountable, recalling Sri Lanka’s experience with the X-Press Pearl disaster, one of the worst maritime environmental crises in the country’s history.
Activists warned of the severe harm plastic pellet spills pose to Sri Lanka’s fragile marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged container ship, sank near Kochi reportedly due to operational issues, while on 9th of June the Singapore-flagged MV WAN HAI 503 caught fire off the Beypore coast in Kerala.
