SC notice to Centre on Norwegian ship
by Outlook (India)
12 May 2006 (New Delhi, India) –
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on an application seeking to stop a Norwegian ship carrying asbestos and other toxic materials, from entering into the Indian waters for its scrapping at Alang port in Gujarat.
A Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice Markandey Katju asked the apex court appointed high-level Committee of Technical Experts on Ship Breaking to examine the concern raised in the application and submit report in July.
The Bench acted on an application moved by Environmental activist Gopal Krishna alleging that the world's largest ocean liner SS Norway has left Port Klang, Malaysia with huge toxic wastes and likely to arrive in India within 15 days.
The Court said the Centre while determining the toxic contents in the ship, popularly known as "Blue Lady", could take the assistance of Central Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Maritime Board and Gujarat Pollution Control Board.
Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian, who accepted the notice for the Centre, informed the court that he has already communicated the concern raised by advocate Sanjay Parikh about the ship to the concerned authority.
Parikh, who had appeared for NGO, Research Foundation for Science and Technology, during the recent controversy relating to the planned decommissioning of the French warship Le Clemenceau at Alang in Gujarat, has communicated the concern through ASG to the apex court-appointed Committee.
Referring to the report and information gathered on downloading the material from the internet, he has asked the Committee to verify various environmental concerns.
Parikh and Krishna claimed that the ship contained 1,250 tonnes of asbestos, twice the quantity that was in Clemenceau. The ship was sent to Bangladesh for breaking but was refused entry.
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