Blue Lady: ready for dismantling, Govt tells SC

The Government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that all the required mechanisms

The Government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that all the required mechanisms, with regard to decontamination of the hazardous material on board the world’s largest cruise liner S S Norway aka Blue Lady, have been complied with, thus paving the way for it to be dismantled.

Urging the Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat to accept the Technical Committee’s report, which gave its nod for dismantling ship anchored at Alang Shipyard at Gujarat, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam said, “Decontamination would include dismantling and all the procedures involved before the process. The procedures have been complied with.” He further assured the Apex Court that the Government would come out with all the required notification and laws to ensure that there is no contamination while ship dismantling.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Parikh, counsel for NGO Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy, argued: “A declaration regarding contamination should be made to the authorities. The Ministry of Environment and Forests should be informed of the ship’s arrival. It should have a consent, which carries details regarding the contents, method of waste disposal, and a de-contamination certificate.”

Story continues below this ad

However, unwilling to accept the de-contamination certificate from a foreign country, Justice S H Kapadia, also a part of the Bench said, “In our country, we are the best judge. Before dismantling, it should be our authority which should decide whether the ship is decontaminated or not.”

Corroborating Kapadia’s thought, Justice Pasayat said, “When a ship enters our area, we have to ensure that it is decontaminated. If a ship enters the country with a fake certificate, the apprehensions raised by you may come true.” Saying, “we shall take care of everything”, the Bench reserved its decision on ship dismantling.