He says he has other assignments which are equally challenging and would like to move on. But NGOs dealing with the hazardous waste issue are alleging foul play, saying the committee has been sabotaged by the government. Among its 11 members are four from the government — including two Central Pollution Control Board officials — who are actually responsible for the implementation of these directions.

“The culprits have become investigators and assessors and, therefore, there is a conflict of interest in the committee,’’ said Indian Platform on Shipbreaking’s Gopal Krishna, who has filed a PIL in the court on Blue Lady.

The committee has been fractured from the beginning, especially on the contentious ship-breaking issue. When asked to submit a report on Clememceau, three of the members gave a dissenting view last year.

The SC then said that the committee was not equipped to deal with these issues and had set up a technical committee headed by Prodipto Ghosh, secretary, environment.

Similar faultlines were apparent when another Danish ship called Ricky headed towards Indian shores for breaking. The final report had allowed it to be broken in India but some of the members said their objections were not taken into consideration. In other words, it was what the government wanted.

The technical committee has also allowed Blue Lady to be broken in India and the Supreme Court has listed the matter for final hearing in March.