Saturday May 18, 2024
Saturday May 18, 2024
Wednesday, 10 May 2023 01:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A Singapore Court has postponed the hearing of the X-Press Pearl compensation case filed by Sri Lankan authorities to 15 May.
The first hearing of the case was taken up before a High Court in Singapore yesterday where the Sri Lankan authorities were represented by a Singaporean law firm. The delay in initiating legal proceedings to obtain compensation for the X-Press Pearl marine disaster which took place on 20 May 2021 considered the worst of its kind in recent times has been highly criticised by the opposition and other concerned groups. The case was finally filed before a Singaporean Court on 24 April.
The litigation process is being carried out in Singapore instead of Sri Lanka based on advice received from an Australian legal firm which has also drawn the ire of many parties due to the involved costs. A special study report estimated the monetary value of the environmental damage caused to be $ 6.4 billion.
A recent research conducted by the Center of Environmental Justice (CEJ) found heavy pollution in the marine environment around the X-press Pearl shipwreck. The CEJ said the research was conducted in collaboration with Prof. M.M. Pathmalal of the Animal Science Department of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura from October to December 2021, based on water and animal samples in 11 locations. CEJ said a high amount of nitrate was detected in the surrounding sea and harmful biotoxins were found around Dikowita and Sarakkuwa.
“Oil and grease were also found around the ship, along with heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, and nickel found in these samples. Those heavy metals were found in sea snails, shrimps, sardines, and herrings exceeding the level approved for human consumption,” the release read. The CEJ said high amounts of lead were found in shellfish, shrimp, sardines, and herring.
“Even in small amounts, this chemical is harmful. The environmental pollution caused by the ship sinking has adverse consequences for the neighbouring fishing communities through their fish consumption,” the organisation warned.
