Were lessons learnt from X-Press Pearl maritime disaster?

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a landmark ruling in which it ordered the owners and operators of the MV X-Press Pearl to pay $ 1 billion in compensation for the devastation caused to the environment and the economic cost caused by the sinking of the ship off the island’s western coast in 2021.

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While the judgment of the five-member judge bench was welcomed by many, the SC ruling also exposed how State institutions entrusted with dealing with a situation like the X-Press Pearl disaster failed to discharge their responsibilities as they should’ve done in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) role in the aftermath of the accident was criticised by the court as well as the failure of the relevant ministers who held office at the time. The Court also exposed the lack of preparedness at the Colombo harbour to act in such an emergency.

The Government authorities are now in the process of discussing how the SC ruling can be implemented and how the process of compensation payment can take place.

The X-Press Pearl incident is the worst maritime disaster to have struck Sri Lanka and continues to have a significant impact on the country’s sensitive coastal environment, local communities and the economy.