New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to examine in four weeks the acceptability or otherwise of a plan submitted for breaking the Norwegian vessel `Blue Lady,' carrying about 1,250 tonnes of material containing asbestos, at the Alang port.

A Bench consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia gave this direction after Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam informed the court that an experts committee had submitted its final report and that ship breaking could be allowed on certain conditions.

The Bench, dealing with an application filed by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy pleading for sending the vessel back, said further direction would be considered after receiving the board report. It asked the board to examine whether the vessel could be sent back without dismantling. But even if it were to allow breaking of the vessel, dismantling would not take place without court permission.

Sanjay Parikh, counsel for the applicant, said the entry of the vessel for scrapping on the Alang yard was illegal and in clear violation of the Basel Convention, Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2003.

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