NGT-constituted panel gives clean chit to Ghogha Seaport
However, the joint committee ruled that the wastes from the beached ship were disposed of “in an environment friendly manner”.
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Dona Paula-II at Ghogha Seaport. ExpressA joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given a clean chit to Ghogha Seaport authorities who were allegedly violating environmental norms in the beaching of a decommissioned ship, according to a private complaint.
In December 2021, NGT had initiated proceedings based on a complaint by one Robert Drawin who pointed out that beaching of the decommissioned ship, Dona Paula-II, at the port has resulted in environmental norms violation with local authorities conniving with Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) officials.
However, the joint committee ruled that the wastes from the beached ship were disposed of “in an environment friendly manner”. Notably, the members of the committee include officials of the district magistrate, a Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) member, representatives of the Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) under the state forest department and a GPCB official.
Drawin had stated in his complaint that the beaching of the ship was damaging the mangroves of the area and releasing harmful substances into the sea, thus damaging the biodiversity and fisheries of the area. Following this, the NGT had, in January, directed constituting a joint committee. The panel submitted its report on May 6.
According to the report, the committee members interacted with local authorities, conducted a site visit to Ghogha seaport and checked the current status of the decommissioned ship.
The report said the ship was anchored at Ghogha seaport temporarily for inspection for repairing purposes and was ultimately sent for demolition to Alang.
While at the Ghogha seaport, GMB officials submitted that the ship was beached at a “certain distance from the mangroves”, and at the time of the committee’s site visit, the ship was no longer beached at the seaport.
The report further noted that GMB granted the ship cutting permission in August 2021. Cutting and breaking works were completed the same month. Upon inspection of the inventory, the committee noted that while hazardous materials such as bilge water, furnace oil, marine oil, etc were absent, the ship inventory included items such as asbestos, garbage, lubricating oil, oily rags and lead acid batteries that have been disposed of in accordance with the norms.
The committee observed that images shared by GMB officials of the beached ship when it was anchored at Ghogha seaport “clearly suggests that the ship is clear of the mangroves”.
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It recorded that after verification of disposal details of various wastes generated during ship cutting and breaking, GPCB gave decontamination permission of the ship Dona Paula-II. This, according to the committee, “clearly suggests that any chemical/harmful substances etc, are not released into the sea and wastes generated are disposed of in environment friendly manner only”.
The report concluded that the wastes present aboard as well as those generated during cutting and breaking process at Alang were “disposed of in an environment friendly manner” and that no “chemical/harmful substances, etc are disposed of into the sea. Hence, the possibility of damaging the biodiversity and fisheries may be ruled out.”
The committee report, however, made no mention of probing the allegations posed by the complainant against the local authorities colluding with GPCB officials in violation of environmental norms.
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