29 August 2014

SC junks PIL, work on scrapping INS Vikrant to begin next month:

The entire process of scrapping should take between 8 and 10 months.

After the Supreme Court rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to convert de-commissioned warship INS Vikrant into a museum earlier this month, scrapping work of the vessel is slated to begin early September.

The vessel’s owner, Mumbai based I. B. Commercial Pvt. Ltd. is required only to complete formalities to begin to turn the vessel to scrap.

After a lengthy court battle, the SC rejected the PIL filed by Mumbai resident Kiran Paigankar on August 14, clearing the decks for work to begin.

“We are required to obtain clearances from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Mumbai Port Trust before beginning the scrapping. We should be able to obtain these clearances in the first week of September 6.

“In the meanwhile, we are clearing all loose-fitting components of the vessel and preparing it for scrapping,” said Abdul.

Paigankar is now considering filing a curative petition in the Supreme Court as his last resort. “In most cases, however, curative petitions are dismissed. But we want to remain hopeful,” said Shekhar Jagtap, Paigankar’s lawyer.

Vikrant is currently berthed at the Darukhana ship-breaking yard. “The entire process of scrapping should take between 8 and 10 months,”Zaka said.

Source: Indian express. 29 August 2014

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