May 19th, 2006

A French vessel said to contain a large amount of toxic waste including hundreds of tons of asbestos has been banned from entering Indian waters. This comes just a short time after the controversy surrounding another French vessel, the Clemenceau, which was in a similar situation and also allegedly contained high levels of toxic waste including asbestos.

The latest vessel, the Blue Lady, is thought to contain three times as much toxic and hazardous waste as the previous vessel, and was headed for Alang ship breaking yard. However, due to the reports of toxic material on board the Gujarat Pollution Control Board has barred it from entering Indian waters.

The vessel is thought to be one of the top 50 toxic vessels in the world according to reports, and is thought to be carrying high volumes of toxic waste including around 900 tons of asbestos, which a known carcinogenic.

One official stated: "Following directions from the Union government, we have issued notices to all authorities concerned to stop the ship from entering the Indian sovereign jurisdiction, until the committee decides on the matter."