Remaining components will be removed by end of this week: MEPA

The remaining parts of the vessel ‘MV X-Press Pearl’ that caught fire in Sri Lankan waters and sank in 2021 will be removed by the end of this week, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Chairman, Mrs. Dharshani Lahandapura said.

She told the Daily Mirror that the MEPA had handed over the project of removing debris from the Singapore-registered vessel to American 'Resolve Marine' and Chinese 'Shanghai Salvage companies to clear the area covering one kilometer radius of the ship after it was burnt.

"The American company had completed their task. The Chinese company had already removed the ship's accommodation part and taken it to Singapore. The ship had been separated into two parts, and both parts were ready to be taken out after loading on to a barge ship," she said.

According to the Chinese company's report, there was no fuel left in the ship, and no oil or fuel leaks were discovered when the ship was cut in half, Mrs. Lahandapura said.

The remaining parts of the ship would be taken away at the end of this week, she said.

"The damage caused after burning the ship was categorised. The damage caused to the environment, the widespread of plastic pebbles, and the damage caused to the fishing community were estimated. The ship's insurance company paid USD 10 million for the damage done to the sea environment and the fishing community. "The MEPA received more than USD 6 million from the payment," Mrs. Lahandapura said.

The damage caused to the sea environment by this ship was recorded as the largest ever damage caused by plastic damage recorded in the history.

"The MEPA prepared the first interim environmental damage report in 2021. The second interim report was prepared this January and handed over to the Justice Minister. USD 6.5 billion was estimated in the second interim report," she said.

She said that this was not the final report of the environmental damage caused by the ship tragedy.

The final report for the environmental damage will be issued after removing the whole wreak and studying the damage caused during the removal and the condition of the water. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)