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 GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

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 GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

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 GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

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 GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Ship reaching Alang in January 2006 to be broken down and recycled. Alang is said to be best suited for this activity in India because of extreme high and low tides that assist beaching of ships Photographs by: Padmaparna GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India

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 GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India  

Alang dismantled the maximum number of ships, numbering 415, in 2011-12. Since its establishment in 1982, the shipyard has witnessed dismantling of 5,924 ships. Ships that come to Alang are broken and and sold for recycling through auctions. The remains of the ship include goods like sinks, frigdes, furniture, machinery and steel Photographs by: Padmaparna GhoshAlso read: Oriental Nicety denied entry into India