BackDismantling of ‘Platinum 2’ at Alang shipyard blocked
Dismantling of ‘Platinum 2’ at Alang shipyard blocked
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New Delhi: The ministry of environment and forests has blocked the dismantling of the ship ‘Platinum 2’ at the ship-breaking hub of Alang in Gujarat, acting on a report that the vessel contained contaminants, it said in a statement on Monday.
Granting permission to the ship “for beaching and breaking purposes will not be advisable", the ministry said.
‘Platinum 2’ contains toxic material such as asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), the environment ministry said last week in a report. However, the ship wasn’t carrying any toxic substances as cargo, it said.
The ministry had sent a team to inspect the ship after receiving complaints that the vessel contravened the Basel Convention, a global agreement that prohibits the movement of hazardous waste and its disposal across borders.
The ministry blocked the dismantling of the ship on the basis of the report submitted by the team following the inspection conducted from 19-20 October.
“In view of the environment ministry statement, the ship cannot be broken up here," said G.V. Patel, head of Gujarat’s Pollution Control Board.
The asbestos-laden French aircraft carrier ‘Le Clemenceau’ was turned away from the Alang yard, the world’s biggest such facility, in 2006 because of concerns it would endanger the lives of scrapyard workers.
(‘AFP’ contributed to this story.)
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