ORDER

The Challenge

1. This appeal has been preferred against grant of Environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Clearance (EC) by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) vide letter dated 02.11.2016 for ‘upgradation of existing ship recycling yard at Alang Sosiya, Gujarat for undertaking safe and environmentally sound ship recycling operations by M/s Gujarat Maritime Board’.

2. According to the impugned EC, the existing yard stretches over a length of 10 km of coastline divided into 167 plots which have been leased to private entrepreneurs for ship recycling. It has the capacity to recycle 400 ships per year to recover 4 million tonnes per year (Mt/yr) of various materials which include over 99% steel. Details of the proposed upgradation and expansion project are as given below:

a. Upgradation of existing Ship recycling plots: 70 plots in Phase 1 and remaining 97 plots in Phase II.

b. Hazardous Material removal Pre-treatment Facility: Constructing two nos. of dry-docks (each of dimension: 1 x b x h = 300 m x 50 m x 11.5 m) for pre cleaning of hazardous material from ships. Dry-dock 1 will be at the southern end of the existing yard and Dry-dock 2 about 2