New Delhi, 25 September 2025: Greenpeace India welcomes the Kerala High Court’s interim order directing MSC to pay ₹1,200 crore as deposit to release MSC vessel in relation to the case related to environmental and livelihood damages caused by the sinking of MSC ELSA-3. This decision reaffirms the urgent need to hold corporations accountable for environmental harm and protect the rights of vulnerable coastal communities.

Greenpeace India’s recent report ‘Wrecked Futures’ documented the impact of the shipwreck on the livelihoods of the fishing communities and the loss and damage faced by them with boats and nets being destroyed. These experiences underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive compensation mechanism that reaches affected families directly and swiftly.

The socio economic impact of the communities’ hurdles highlight how deeply fishing communities continue to suffer from torn nets due to submerged containers to economic uncertainty from disrupted fishing grounds. These experiences underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive compensation mechanism that reaches affected families directly and swiftly.

“This court order is a crucial milestone, but it’s just the beginning,” said Amruta S.N., Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace India. “Now, the focus must be on ensuring that every impacted family can access compensation without red tape or exclusion. That means a decentralised, state-led process with support for documentation, especially for those who have only torn nets and broken boats as proof. True justice lies in recognising their loss, restoring their dignity, and holding polluters accountable, not just with money, but with lasting policy reforms that protect people and oceans,” said Amruta S.N. 

Greenpeace India stresses the need for a comprehensive and decentralised claims mechanism. This is not just about financial relief, but about recognising their resilience, dignity, and right to a safe environment. Greenpeace India and community groups are looking forward to the comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact of the shipwreck as announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Nibedita Saha,
Media Officer,
Greenpeace India,
[email protected]