Chief wants SC panel on waste folded up, members want to stay

At a time when the country is trying to address problems of hazardous waste landing at ports, unsafe ship-breaking and contamination of ground water

At a time when the country is trying to address problems of hazardous waste landing at ports, unsafe ship-breaking and contamination of ground water, the status of the apex committee set up by the Supreme Court to look into these matters has come into question.

G Thyagarajan, the chairman of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee SCMC on hazardous waste, has written to the court asking to be 8220;relieved8221; of his position. He has submitted a 8220;final report8217;8217; of the work done by his committee in the last three years and sought the committee be folded up.

The problem, however, is that two in the 11-member committee do not think that their work is over and have refused to sign the 8220;comprehensive final report8217;8217;. The say that that they are continuing to function as SCMC as nobody but the court has the right to disband the group.

The SCMC was formed on October 14, 2003 as part of the Supreme Court8217;s landmark order which laid down detailed directions on management of hazardous waste. The committee was to act as eyes and ears of the court and ensure strict compliance.

After three years, the chairman felt that the work assigned to it is over. 8220;The three-year period spent by it for monitoring compliance of the SC8217;s direction is adequate and long enough,8217;8217; says the voluminous two-part final report. 8220;Monitoring of compliance is a continuous activity and responsibility of the state Boards, hence there is no need for the committee to continue operating,8217;8217; Thyagarajan told The Indian Express.

He says he has other assignments which are equally challenging and would like to move on. But NGOs dealing with the hazardous waste issue are alleging foul play, saying the committee has been sabotaged by the government. Among its 11 members are four from the government 8212; including two Central Pollution Control Board officials 8212; who are actually responsible for the implementation of these directions.

8220;The culprits have become investigators and assessors and, therefore, there is a conflict of interest in the committee,8217;8217; said Indian Platform on Shipbreaking8217;s Gopal Krishna, who has filed a PIL in the court on Blue Lady.

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The committee has been fractured from the beginning, especially on the contentious ship-breaking issue. When asked to submit a report on Clememceau, three of the members gave a dissenting view last year.

The SC then said that the committee was not equipped to deal with these issues and had set up a technical committee headed by Prodipto Ghosh, secretary, environment.

Similar faultlines were apparent when another Danish ship called Ricky headed towards Indian shores for breaking. The final report had allowed it to be broken in India but some of the members said their objections were not taken into consideration. In other words, it was what the government wanted.

The technical committee has also allowed Blue Lady to be broken in India and the Supreme Court has listed the matter for final hearing in March.