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GS3 · Marine pollution

CMLRE report on the ELSA 3 shipwreck off Kerala

1 min readOceanographyWater
Battle IAS current affairs title card: CMLRE report on the ELSA 3 shipwreck off Kerala (GS3 · Marine pollution, 19 September 2025)

What happened

  • CMLRE (MoES) studied the ELSA 3 wreck in the south-eastern Arabian Sea with FORV Sagar Sampada from 2 to 12 June 2025, at 23 sites between Kochi and Kanyakumari [PIB].
  • The ship carried 367 tonnes of furnace oil and 84 tonnes of low-sulphur diesel; an oil slick of nearly two square miles was seen [PIB].

Background

  • The wreck lies at a depth of 54 metres [PIB].

Why it matters

  • Pollutants shifted between mid-depths and the surface over time, so monitoring has to be repeated, not one-off.

How to use this in Mains

GS-III Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

  1. As per PIB (2025-09-19): CMLRE (MoES) studied the ELSA 3 wreck in the south-eastern Arabian Sea with FORV Sagar Sampada from 2 to 12 June 2025, at 23 sites between Kochi and Kanyakumari.
  2. Pollutants shifted between mid-depths and the surface over time, so monitoring has to be repeated, not one-off.
Quotable data point

The ship carried 367 tonnes of furnace oil and 84 tonnes of low-sulphur diesel; an oil slick of nearly two square miles was seen.

PIB: CMLRE report on ELSA 3 shipwreck, 19 Sep 2025

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: FORV Sagar Sampada.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

Research vessel used by CMLRE

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Go deeper

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Official source: PIB: CMLRE report on ELSA 3 shipwreck, 19 Sep 2025

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending