The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is in the dock. Its statement that it cannot send back the US ship, Platinum-II, since it is a “wreck” has caused serious judicial concern.
The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is in the dock. Its statement that it cannot send back the US ship, Platinum-II, since it is a “wreck” has caused serious judicial concern.
Platinum-II, which lies
anchored at the Alang shipbreaking yard off Bhavnagar, Gujarat, is considered an extremely toxic ship. The Union ministry of environment and forests had ordered GMB in November 2009 not to allow the Platinum-II into Alang as its nationality, originality, and registration were suspect.
The central government has told the authorities to investigate how Platinum-II was allowed to anchor at Alang despite orders from the Supreme Court and in violation of international covenants on keeping hazardous ships at bay.
Environmental activists have drawn the SC’s attention to what they claim are glaring lapses on GMB’s part in allowing the 208-metre long and 23,719 gross tonnage
Platinum-II anchor at Alang at the behest of the politically powerful
ship-breaking industry. Incidentally, the US Environment Protection Agency had fined the Platinum-II’s last owners, Global Marketing Systems, $518,500 for exporting the ship for scrap without removing toxic substances on board such as asbestos.
The environmental activists said since the SC order barring contaminated ships from anchoring off Alang unless certified as non-toxic in September 2007, at least 200 ships have entered Indian territorial waters for disposal.
The environment ministry had sent a letter to the ministry of steel on December 16 that took cognisance of the possibility that “the port of registry of most of the 200 ships received at Alang have not been properly investigated before desk clearance and there have been entry of dead and toxic ships into India’’.
The environment ministry has sought an investigation by the port of registry of all dead ships that came to Alang after the SC orders. But the there has been no response to the demand.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}