Sri Lanka: Environmentalists sue government, MV X-Press Pearl operator over ship wreck

Environmentalists have filed a lawsuit against the Sri Lankan government and operators of MV X-Press Pearl over the shipwreck that caused damage to the environment. The Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) an environmental rights group, and fishermen's activists filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court on Friday over the environmental damage caused by the shipwreck alleging that local authorities should have been able to prevent the fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl, ANI reported Colombo Page as saying. They also called on the government to make relevant laws and regulations to prevent such disasters in the future.  

Environmentalists file case against government

The petitioners alleged that local authorities should have been able to prevent the fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl, which was carrying hazardous chemicals and plastics. They requested that necessary steps be taken to detain the ship's captain and crew and that appropriate criminal and civil action be taken against the ship's owners and their agents, according to ANI. 

The petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to instruct the respondents to pay compensation to the fishermen and the fishing industry. They have also requested the court to instruct compensation for losses faced by the tourism industry and those involved in the tourism industry in the affected areas. They further asked the authorities to assess the health implications caused to the people by appointing an expert committee and to submit such preliminary and final reports to the courts. 

MV X-Press Pearl, which was carrying tons of plastic, chemicals, and oil sunk off the coast in Sri Lanka. It was laden with over 1,486 containers that consisted of 25 tonnes of nitric acid, among other chemicals and was loaded at the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. The government announced that the vessel burnt for nearly two weeks and poses oil spill hazard risks on the fishing and oceanic ecosystem. The coastline was engulfed in tons of plastic pellets, and debris, prompting the Sri Lankan administration to ban fishing 50 miles along the coastline. 

IMAGE: AP/Representative Image

Inputs from ANI