Close on the heels of the Blue Lady controversy, another ship has landed in Alang to be dismantled. This time, the UN’s Basel Secretariat has written to the Indian Government warning that the ship, Aqaba Express, containing asbestos and other hazardous material may be on its way to shipbreaking yards. The ship anchored in Alang on October 27.

The letter from the UN says that the vessel was arrested in Spain for operating under a certificate that indicated it was on a final voyage for demolition in either Alang or Chittagong. “The results of the lab tests showed that the vessel contains hazardous substances such as asbestos and PCB. However, the ship was subsequently allowed to leave upon issuance of new documentation that showed it was en route to Romania for refurbishment,” says the letter.

When the letter was written on October 2, the ship had crossed the Suez Canal and was in the Indian Ocean. Built in 1975, it was earlier called Beni Ansar. It’s registered in Moroni in Comoros, off the coast of Africa. The Basel Secretariat has asked the government to ensure that the standards of the Basel Convention are met. According to this, the ship must receive “Prior Informed Consent” as a notification indicating that it does not contain hazardous substances. This requires sampling and testing of onboard materials. This ship has none of these. The owner of the yard where the ship has beached was unable for comment.

In the last two years, this is the third large vessel to land. First was Le Clemenceau, recalled by France, then came Blue Lady. The Supreme Court passed an order on Sept 6 laying strict guidelines for dismantling of ships in Alang.