Utkal asbestos plant's no-objection certificate cancelled

Bihar deputy CM stirs up a storm with remarks on asbestos

Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Sushil Modi, who also holds the portfolio of forest and environment ministry, has been accused of misleading the state Assembly on the health hazards of asbestos. MLA Sanjay Singh (Tiger) had posed a question regarding health hazards of asbestos factories during the Assembly session that concluded last week. In his reply given on March 25, Modi cited a Supreme Court judgement and added, “So far there has been no study in the country to establish this fact in a credible manner.”

Rage over asbestos

US ship, Oriental Nicety, enters Indian waters despite Supreme Court restriction

The Supreme Court order prohibiting the entry of the dead ship, Oriental Nicety, into Indian territorial waters seems to have had little deterrent effect on the government. The controversial US ship reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat on June 30, two days after the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) gave it permission enter Indian waters. While activists say this is in violation of  the Supreme court order, GMB officials say the permission is only for bringing in the ship for inspection.

Diesel exhaust linked to lung cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization, gives its scientific verdict that diesel engine exhaust can cause lung cancer in humans. In its report released on June 12, IARC has reclassified diesel exhaust from its group 2A list of probable carcinogens to its group 1 list of substances that have definite links to cancer.

Alang: India's graveyard for ships

The workers' conditions are so bad that even the Centre has taken note of it. Earlier this year, the government ordered the Directorate General of Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) to conduct a radiology study on the impact of glass wool among the workers at Alang. Following this, guidelines are to be prepared which should be operational by June this year and are to be enforced by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) Photographs by: Padmaparna Ghosh Also read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Alang: India's graveyard for ships

There are approximately 20,000 workers employed in the ship-breaking yards in Alang. Most of them are not given protective gear to minimise exposure to hazardous material Photographs by: Padmaparna Ghosh Also read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Alang: India's graveyard for ships

Environmentalists say companies do not take any precautions while breaking and handling end-of-life ships, which exposes workers and the environment to toxic materials. Ships need to be decontaminated because they have mercury, arsenic, asbestos and residual oil in ship hulls and holds Photographs by: Padmaparna Ghosh Also read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Alang: India's graveyard for ships

Ship-breaking at Alang has hit another record in the last one year where 38.60 million tonnes of light ton displacement or LDT was carried out (scrap removed from ships) against 28.20 million tonnes LDT recorded in 2010-11 Photographs by: Padmaparna Ghosh Also read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Alang: India's graveyard for ships

Alang is known for using beaching method wherein a ship is brought to ground on the beach and dismantled right there. This technology is environmentally hazardous as allows toxic contaminates to spread through the air. Earlier this year, Japan had suggested a US $22 million project for the up-gradation of the ship-breaking yards of Alang, using the docking technology. The proposal has not yet moved forward because of apprehensions of the Alang recyclers who say it is financially unviable and will leave them in Japan's debt Photographs by: Padmaparna Ghosh Also read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India