On its way to be broken at the ship-breaking yard at Alang, Norwegian cruise liner S S Norway, is likely to reach Gujarat on Thursday night.

The ship weighing 46,000 tons, bought by Haryana Ship Demolition Private Ltd, will be dismantled at the Alang ship-breaking yard off the coast of Bhavnagar district.

"The ship, nicknamed Blue Lady is expected to reach Pipavav port on Thursday night or by early Friday morning," said Rajiv Reniwal, owner of the company.

"The ship is currently about a few nautical miles away in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast," Anil K Rathod, in-charge port officer of Alang, said, adding: "The Blue Lady is yet to get permission to be beached at Alang and so it will be anchored at Pipavav port of Amreli district after it reaches the coast."

"At Pipavav, the ship will be inspected by authorities, including the officials of the Gujarat Maritime Board, who are expected to send a report to the Supreme Court's technical committee," Rathod said.

"This ship will be allowed into Alang only after the concerned authorities give a go ahead as per the directions issued by the Supreme Court," he added.

The Supreme Court had earlier permitted 'safe anchorage' to the vessel but had directed that the ship cannot be beached or dismantled unless it is properly examined by an expert agency who conduct inspection once the ship is anchored.

Blue Lady is the first ship to reach Alang to be broken after the French aircraft carrier Le Clemenceau was forced to return from Indian waters after environmentalists objected to the huge quantities of asbestos on board the ship.