Colombo: The Sri Lankan government on Monday said that it had begun the process of paying compensation to local fishermen affected by fire on a Singapore-flagged container ship carrying tons of harmful chemicals and slumped on the coast of the country.
MV X-Press Pearl carries 1,486 containers of chemicals and cargo when burning on May 21 near Port Colombo.
Sri Lankan Navy, Airforce, and Indian coast guards together watered the fire in an operation that needed days.
However, the ship sank Colombo beach on June 17.
The Minister of State Fisheries, Kanchana Wijesera, said payments for compensation were made possible by temporary claims placed in the ship owner insurance company.
“The activities of local fishermen are very affected since May 20, in addition to environmental damage.
Our temporary claim is in connection with expenditures issued by state institutions in rescue work and assessing damage,” Wijesekera told reporters here.
He said out of the LKR 720 million ($ 40 million) to be accepted under temporary claims, LKR 420 million ($ 21.12.231) will be used to compensate for fishermen.
Following the Blaze of cargo ships, the Ministry of Fisheries stopped fishing around the port of Colombo and the West Coast as tons of waste – plastic and chemicals – began to float in sea water.
It is estimated that the number of 20,000 people from the fisherman’s family has been influenced by fishing prohibitions.
Apart from tons of fuel 325 metrics in the tank, the ship is loaded with 25 tons of malicious nitric acid.
A large number of marine animals, including whales and turtles, died of disasters repeated by environmental lovers as one of the worst ecological disasters in the country’s history.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Environmental Environmental Protection Chair (MEPA) Darshani Lahandapura said the three-month minimum period would be needed to fully assess the damage caused by the fire of the ship.
The Indian Navy last month distributed a hydrographic survey, Sarvekshak ship to carry out survey surveys to help Lanka restore the safety of sea traffic navigation through the Port of Colombo.
A UN team from oil spills and chemists deployed in mid-June still worked on the impact of the evaluation of threats to the livelihoods and life of the population in coastal areas, Lahandapura said.
Their report will be used by the authorities to make end claims for compensation.