Fishermen in Kerala village face heavy losses after MSC Elsa shipwreck, says study
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The MSC Elsa shipwreck off Kerala’s coast is costing each fishing family in a village about Rs 25,000 to 30,000 a month, according to a pilot study by an NGO into the incident that occurred in May this year.
The study by Greenpeace India also found that drifting containers and plastic nurdles from the wreck have damaged fishermen's nets, adding to their losses.
Activists from the NGO and representatives of the fishermen's association in Kerala released the report on Tuesday, after a survey in Karumkulam Panchayat, during a protest against the delay in compensation from the shipping company.
The Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa 3 sank 14.6 nautical miles southwest of the Kochi coast on May 24.
Greenpeace activists conducted the pilot survey at Karumkulam Panchayat in Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram, to assess the average damage caused by the shipwreck in a fishing village. They estimated that the total loss in a single coastal village could be around Rs 54 lakh.
"You can imagine the overall loss across the coastal villages in Kerala following this shipwreck. The government has demanded Rs 9,531 crore in compensation from the shipping company, but in reality the total loss could be double that amount," said Jackson Pollayil, state president of the Fishermen’s Federation of Kerala, speaking to PTI Videos.
He added that the company had only agreed to pay Rs 132 crore as compensation for what he described as a "major disaster".
"We do not know how they calculated this figure. They have a moral responsibility to tell us what data they used to arrive at this conclusion,” Jackson said, pointing out that one coastal panchayat alone had suffered losses of Rs 54 lakh.
"This is not just about one village. It is an assessment of all coastal villages in Kerala badly affected by the shipwreck. We should not allow the MSC shipping company to exploit loopholes in the case," Amrurha S N, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace, told PTI Videos.
Greenpeace activists surveyed adults and children in Karumkulam Panchayat and found that the lives of fishermen --especially fisherwomen -- have deteriorated considerably since the disaster.
They are now being forced to look for alternative work, as fishing is no longer viable. Many young people said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, each fishing trip has cost them more in fuel, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
"I cannot operate my boat because the pollution from plastic nurdles and drifting containers has damaged my nets. I am now working as a crew member on another fishing boat," said Densen, a 43-year-old fisherman.
The fishermen's associations said they would have no choice but to continue protesting if the government delayed compensation further.
"We hope the government will soon find a solution to our problems. If that does not happen, we have no option but to continue our protests," Jackson Pollayil said.
During their protest in front of the Secretariat, fishermen displayed their damaged nets and demanded swift action from the government to address the impact of the shipwreck.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
