SS Norway demolition delayed

New Delhi: India's Supreme Court has postponed a decision on the scrapping of the SS Norway and ordered the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to review a demolition plan put forward by Priya Blue Industries. The asbestos-laden former SS France is aground off Alang beach. Environmental campaigners have been fighting to get the demolition declared illegal. The Norwegian Cruise Line flagship suffered a boiler explosion in Miami in 2003 in which eight crew members died. The ships was towed to Germany ostensibly for repair at Lloyd Werft but left Germany under tow for Malaysia where NCL parent Star Cruises is based. German Greens tried but failed to get removal of hazardous materials on the vessel before it left Germany. NCL said that at the time of its tow to Malaysia a decision on whether to scrap "The Blue Lady" as it was known, had not yet been taken. (6/12/06)