New Delhi: Cruise liner S S Norway, now called the Blue Lady, is on its way to Alang in Gujarat for dismantling. But it's still not sure whether the ship will be allowed to dock there.
Environmental activists are petitioning the Supreme Court to prevent the ship from entering Indian waters. The ship is rumoured to have 900 tonnes of asbestos.
Says petitioner Gopal Krishna, "There is no decontamination and no inventory of the material on board. We are opposing it on grounds that it is violating the hazardous act and is not complying with the Supreme Court's order of 2003."
The buyer of the ship, Rajiv Reniwal, has also approached the court for help.
"We have made our case in front of the Supreme Court's technical committee and are awaiting their decision," says Rajiv.
When asked about reports of depleting food and fuel reserves on the ship, he said, "I don't have accurate information on that, so will not be able to say anything."
The Blue lady is being towed by two vessels and is manned by an all-Indian crew of 33 people. It has already been turned away from Bangladesh, one of the world's cheapest shipping yards.
The Gujarat Pollution Control Board has also withheld permission for the ship to enter its waters till it is cleared by the technical committee set up by the Supreme Court.
Before the Blue Lady, there was the Clemenceau, which had to turn back, after travelling across continents.
There are hundreds of ships like the Clemenceau and the Blue lady waiting to be dismantled. But unless ship-breaking yards across the world change and take environmental and health risks into account, they run the risk of losing business.
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