Supreme Court halts toxic ship – ball in Customs court

By Vijay Kumar

The Supreme Court has barred the entry of French warship 'Le Clemenceau' carrying toxic wastes into India at least until the Customs department makes its stand clear. The court mentioned about some earlier cases where the silence of the Customs department had escalated the controversy. The Court affirmed that even if the high-level committee on hazardous waste management clears dismantling of 'Clemenceau', the Supreme Court will not permit it without examining the stand of the Customs Department. The owners of the ship gave an undertaking that they would not bring the ship within 220 nautical miles of India till further orders.

While the toxic ship is waiting to sail through the Supreme Court, it awaits a grand welcome at Alang in Gujarat – Asia’s largest ship breaking yard as this ship is their last opportunity for survival. The Alang ship breaking industry is on the verge of extinction if they miss out this chance. Alang has over 185 ship breaking plots over a coastal stretch of 10 km. Less than 15 plots are functional today as the industry fails to get orders. This one ship is enough to revive the industry.

What is toxic to some is perhaps tonic to some others and may be tax to some.

"Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught."

Honore de Balzac