SRI LANKA Colombo studies a “command center” to prevent maritime disasters

The accident of the New Diamond and the X-Press Pearl revealed the “delays and inadequacies” of the system of protection against environmental accidents. Special attention is paid to ocean waters, crucial for the fishing industry. There are also serious deficiencies in the legal and regulatory frameworks.

Colombo () – Sri Lanka lacks the means and capacity to prevent maritime disasters. This is what emerges from a report published in recent days by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which studied the conclusions of the investigation into the accident – and the serious consequences for the environment – of the cargo ship New Diamond and the X-Press Pearlthe worst in the history of the island. Due to delays in judicial proceedings, the lack of clear protocols to involve local communities in disaster response efforts, and inadequate coordination between government agencies, the environmental and economic damage caused by the shipwreck has worsened. .

Added to this were serious deficiencies in the existing legal and regulatory frameworks and delays in the preparation and response mechanisms of the competent authorities.

The X-Press Pearl disaster has thus revealed the gaps and deficiencies in the country’s capacity to prevent and manage accidents at sea and the consequences related to water pollution. In fact, if the Indian port of Hazira had notified Colombo of the leak of nitric acid on board the arriving ship, the catastrophe could have been avoided. Hence the proposal to introduce the so-called Certificate of Departure (CoD) for ports before accepting ships in their territorial waters and, above all, before entering any port on the island. Furthermore, experts warn of the need for “stricter sanctions for operators and shipowners who fail to comply with safety regulations and the need to continue improving international cooperation to prevent future disasters.”

“There is a need,” they explain, “for Sri Lankan agencies involved in ocean issues to establish and recognize a fast-acting chain of command that prepares and submits quarterly reports to Parliament on the activities and status of the maritime areas. The implementation of an advanced ship monitoring and control system, with real-time data on cargo conditions, weather patterns and ship movements, they added, would help “detect potential dangers in time” and “take action.” appropriate measures.

The commission presented its report to Parliament last month.

Sachini Galapatti and Nalinda Hewawitharana, academics based in Queensland (Australia), tell that “the two disasters have caused serious and long-lasting damage to the marine environment.” According to the International Pollutant Elimination Network, as a result of the X-Press Pearl disaster, tons of pellets and other pollutants ended up on the country’s beaches and damaged the marine ecosystem. The cargo consisted of billions of plastic materials, the discharge of which into the waters damaged the ecosystem, the tourism industry and the country’s reputation as a “green” destination. Among the consequences of the incident, they add, is the “spill of oil and dangerous chemicals, which affected marine life, coastal ecosystems and local communities that depend on these resources.”

According to an analysis based on the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Regulations (Imdg), the cargo manifest revealed that at least 81 of the 1,486 containers on board the MV X-Press were carrying 15 different categories of hazardous materials. Among them, Sachini and Nalinda noted, were “25 tons of nitric acid.” These disasters have had serious repercussions on the national fishing industry, with more than 20,000 fishing families and some 16,000 fishermen affected. In addition, the spill of dangerous chemicals has killed more than 300 marine animals, including turtles, dolphins and whales.

Navindra Igalawithana and Oshantha Samarasekara, experts in the field, explain that “the responses have been characterized by delays and insufficiencies, especially with regard to immediate measures to mitigate the environmental impact.” Lack of preparedness and insufficient resources are also critical deficiencies in the management of these crises. Among the proposals is the creation of “a ministry dedicated to the ocean and the unification of maritime agencies under a single administrative framework to improve coordination during emergencies. It is also necessary,” they conclude, “to strengthen the legal framework, promote oceanographic research and create a maritime coast guard agency within the Navy” and impose “periodic inspections and audits of ships that transport dangerous goods.”