NEWS

A central team on Monday began a probe into allegations that a radioactive contaminated US ship has been anchored at the Alang coast in Gujarat even as NGOs demanded a CBI probe. The three-member team comprising an official from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Steel Ministry and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will submit its report by the end of the week. “A CPCB official from our Zonal office in Baroda is part of the team on behalf of the environment ministry. The team will submit the report by October 23,” a senior official from the ministry said. Meanwhile, a coalition of NGOs, Indian Platform on Ship-breaking, which had brought to the ministry’s notice the alleged violation of environmental laws by the said ship has sought a CBI matter into the probe. Demanding the ship be sent back to the US, Gopal Krishna of Indian Platform on Ship-breaking claimed that it was an international fugitive vessel and nothing short of an enquiry by the CBI can ascertain the circumstances under which the ship entered Indian waters.