Greenpeace today expressed appreciation for the French government’s plan to find a solution to properly dismantle Clemenceau before 2008. French Defence minister unveiled the plan on Le Clemenceau in a meeting with Greenpeace and indicated that the decommissioned aircraft carrier would arrive at Brest on 16th May 2006. He indicated that the Clemenceau would be sent back to India for dismantling following implementation of a three phase plan.

Greenpeace also lauded the progressive position the European Union had adopted on ship breaking. In sharp contrast, Greenpeace slammed the Government of India’s business-as-usual attitude saying it had completely failed to take responsibility to find a sustainable solution for clean ship breaking to safe guard the interest of both industry and workers in India.

Greenpeace also drew attention to the imminent docking at Alang of the highly toxic cruise liner SS France, a.k.a. Blue Lady a.k.a. SS Norway and said its arrival is a barometer of the apathy of the Indian state (1). "Despite overwhelming evidence and widespread public opinion that Alang is a national shame and must be swiftly reformed, there is no political interest beyond lip service within the Government of India about the ship breaking issue," charged Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner, Ramapati Kumar.

The environmental watchdog charged the Ministry of Environment and Forests,

(MoEF) for its abysmal failure to ensure the safety of the environment and protection of workers in Alang and to support and push the ship breaking industry towards sustainable solutions in the last three months since the Clemenceau went back. It is also a sad commentary on the industry itself that they have no intent to take any initiative and improve conditions. Greenpeace had invited the ship breaking association to a stakeholder meeting to find a way forward in February 2006 (2) to which there was little interest from the industry.

The audacious coming of the SS Norway, which carries over 900 tonnes of asbestos and is contaminated with other toxics materials such as the globally banned and cancer-causing chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals suggests that the Indian Government has learnt nothing from the issues that the toxic French warship had raised. "Even Bangladesh has stood up against such dumping and has turned down permission to SS Norway to be broken on its shores," (3) said Ramapati, condemning Minister A. Raja’s stand on end-of-life ships under the Basel convention and urging him to wake up to what was happening in the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, EU commissioner Stavros Dimas also warned the European shipping industry to find solution to this global problem or else EU would develop mandatory guidelines on the same (4). The EU has taken the ship breaking issue very seriously and is creating a road map for a safe and sustainable way to handle end-of-life ships. EU is also exploring possibilities to develop a comprehensive policy on ship recycling including setting up of pre cleaning facilities in Europe, setting up dismantling facilities in Europe and providing aid to developing countries like India for environmentally sound management facilities for ship recycling.

"If stakeholders in India led by the government do not rise to the occasion now and secure Alang’s place in the new evolving world order in the shipping industry, the loss will be irretrievable and India will no longer be a destination of choice for the recycling of ships," warned Ramapati.

Meanwhile Greenpeace activist Imran Khan, 25, who scaled and occupied the mast of the Clemenceau on December 12, 2005 for 22 hours, when the decommissioned aircraft carrier was berthed in the military harbour in Toloun, France has been summoned to appear in a French military court on May 15, 2006. The court has charged Imran with trespassing and illegally entering a military area.

"I did it because it incensed me that the French would dump hazardous wastes on India. I did highlight the injustice that was going to happen and feel great that the protest triggered a series of events and media attention that finally led not only to the Clemenceau being called back, but also to a global debate on waste trade. It makes me angry though, that all of this is in vain as far as India is concerned, but it only strengthens my resolve to continue to keep vigil and expose the Government of India till they change their ways," said Imran who leaves for Toloun on May 12th to face charges.