Fire on waters, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• India faces three major types of maritime threats during peacetime: ship sinking, onboard fires, and oil spills.
• The fire on container ship MV Wan Hai 503 near Kerala’s coast tested India’s firefighting and salvage readiness.
• Coordinated response by the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, and vessel owner helped avert a larger disaster.
• India has previously managed similar high-risk incidents like the New Diamond VLCC fire near Colombo in 2020.

Detailed Insights:

1. MV Wan Hai 503 Incident: Fire began with explosions on June 9, about 44 nautical miles off the Azhikkal coast, Kerala. The ship carried 140 containers with hazardous cargo among a total of 1,754 containers.

2. Coordinated Firefighting Efforts:

• Indian Navy and Coast Guard collaborated effectively. 
• A helicopter airdropped a salvage team.
• A steel tow rope was passed to move the ship 45 nautical miles offshore.
• The vessel, though still smouldering, is currently not a threat to the coast.

3. Current Maritime Capabilities:

• Most Indian Coast Guard patrol vessels now come equipped with firefighting systems.
• Firefighting is a core mandate of the Coast Guard under maritime safety responsibilities.

4. Larger Hazards – Oil & Gas Vessels:

• Gas carriers and oil tankers present greater fire and explosion risks, especially near chokepoints like the Suez Canal or Strait of Malacca.
• The 2020 New Diamond fire (270,000 tonnes of crude) was controlled with Indian Navy–Coast Guard coordination, demonstrating India's ability to manage high-risk maritime fires.

5. India must build deeper expertise in:

• Salvage operations of sunken vessels.
• Oil spill management through rapid and multi-agency responses.
• Real-time coordination protocols for firefighting and rescue across agencies.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Maritime Fire Dynamics: Fires on ships spread differently due to fuel sources, enclosed compartments, and sea/weather interaction.
• Towing & Salvage Engineering: Mechanical and logistical solutions for redirecting or rescuing damaged vessels.
• Oil Spill Response: Use of dispersants, booms, skimmers, and containment strategies in marine environments.

Mains Mock Question:

Q. India's growing maritime activity brings with it increasing peacetime risks such as onboard fires and oil spills. Discuss the capabilities and gaps in India’s maritime disaster response system.