SC order for dismantling Blue lady not environment friendly:NGO

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, a global coalition of environmental, labour and human rights organisations, has expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's September 11 decision to allow the demolition of the asbestos laden ship Blue Lady.

''This order provides exemption to Blue Lady by accepting a fait accompli that beaching is an irreversible process,'' it said in a statement here.

Since June last year, the Platform has provided indisputable evidence to the apex court that the Blue Lady contained large amounts of hazardous materials which could not be dealt with in a safe and environmentally sound manner on the beaches of Alang.

''Despite this, the vessel was allowed to be beached on August 15 last year and will now be dismantled in Alang at the inevitable cost of workers' lives and environmental contamination,'' the NGO said.

The order is surprising in view of the fact tha just a few days back on September six, the Supreme Court passed a judgement calling for all ships coming into India destined for breaking to be emptied of all hazardous material before export to India, it said.

It may be noted that Bangladesh had refused entry to the ship due to which it remained stationed in International waters. It was later allowed entry by the Indian authorities in 2006 which was challenged by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Environment that wanted directions from the apex court to send back the ship.

UNI