Kerala HC modifies its order of conditional arrest of cargo ship; reduces security amount
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Thursday reduced the security amount to be paid by the owners of MSC ELSA III, which sank off the Kerala coast and caused severe pollution, for the release of its sister vessel MSC AKITETA II, to Rs 1,227.62 crore.
The High Court on July 7 had ordered the conditional arrest of MSC AKITETA till its owner -- Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) -- deposits Rs 9,531 crore as security.
Justice M A Abdul Hakhim on Thursday reduced the amount to Rs 1,227.62 crore.
The High Court said that the state government can later seek an increase in the security amount "on obtaining further materials" to support such a hike.
It also said that the state government "has every right to seek the arrest of any other sister vessel of the sunken vessel in this suit itself to demand additional security on furnishing supporting materials for the increase".
The order came on a plea by the Kerala government claiming damages of Rs 9,531 crore in connection with the sinking of MSC ELSA III and the resultant environmental pollution.
The state government's claim was under three heads -- Rs 8,626.12 crore towards compensation for damage caused to the environment, coastline or related interests of the state, Rs 378.48 crore as cost of the steps taken to prevent, minimise or remove such damage and Rs 526.51 crore towards economic loss caused to fishermen pursuant to the sinking of the vessel.
The MSC ELSA III had capsized and sunk off the Kerala coast on May 25, allegedly releasing oil and cargo that harmed the marine environment, damaged the coastline and affected the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
Kerala's Environment Department, which brought the case, had said that the sunken vessel had 643 cargo containers and that the damage caused was enormous.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
