tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755264.post2840897678320674548..comments2007-10-21T01:42:40.768-07:00Gopal Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801809794795753601krishnagreen@gmail.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755264.post-27911290187770382482007-10-21T01:42:00.000-07:002007-10-21T01:42:00.000-07:00Green yards<BR/><BR/>Environmental hazards may not be the most glamorous part of the shipping industry, but it’s a big opportunity. Of late, India’s ship-breaking beaches have been a big concern for the environmentalists all over the world. The pictures of shipyard workers ripping apart with their bare hands, the most lethal forms of asbestos, have invited sharp criticism from environmentalists. This is because till recently, there were not very many laws to check ewaste from the shipyards or the ships.<BR/><BR/>New regulations seem to be on cards. In the wake of the European Union (EU) contemplating stricter laws to deal with ewaste in shipbuilding, Indian authorities are waking up. There is pressure on the government as well as the ship-breakers for taking initiatives for a safer and more environment-friendly way of scrapping ships. There have been suggestions for setting up ‘zero pollution’ or ‘green’ yards by using the latest technologies in the dismantling of ships. While initiatives such as the introduction of safety manuals outlining the current best practices in the ship-breaking industry are welcome, much more needs to be done.<BR/><BR/>There is a market for demolition of 700 ships, including 1,300 single-hull tankers that have to be phased out, 270 drilling platforms and 32 European problem vessels by 2008. According to one estimate, more than 2,000 oil tankers will have to be decommissioned over the next five years. The Kolkata Port Trust has clearly set its sights on some of these ships hoping that their demolition within the dock will generate revenue for the port.<BR/><BR/>Environmentalists fear that most of these so-called ‘end-of-life’ ships will be dumped on Asian beaches, particularly India. If that happens, the pressure on the yards will increase leading to more deaths and pollution. It also threatens to turn many clean beaches into toxic graveyards.<BR/><BR/>The major issue concerning ship recycling is occupational hazard. For instance, workers handle toxic marine paint with their bare hands, which contains arsenic and lead. It kills marine life on contact.<BR/><BR/>Last year, the country’s third naval base—and the first environment friendly base—was inaugurated at Karwar, 600 km south of Mumbai. The base has a unique shiplift and ship transfer system for underwater maintenance of a ship’s hull. The naval base fully complies with International Maritime Pollution Control (MARPOL) regulations, as the effluents discharged by the ships would be transported directly to onshore installations for treatment.<BR/><BR/>There are 90,000 ships in the world, and every year they come out of the water to get cleaned. On an average, each ship has approximately 200,000 sq ft of hull surface that needs to be scrubbed and/or repainted.<BR/><BR/>The average life of a ship is about 27 years. Once a ship loses its economic life, it has to be replaced with a new one. The most environment friendly and economic way for the disposal of such ships is recycling. Therefore, ship recycling is a must. For India, it makes sense to attract this form of business. If it refuses to recycle a ship, it will go to other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, China or Turkey.<BR/><BR/>In April 2006, the European Commission began developing a EU-wide strategy on ship dismantling. This led to a comprehensive framework on how to make the dismantling of old ships safer for workers and the environment.<BR/><BR/>Says the European Commission environmental commissioner, Stavros Dimas, “Many ships from Europe and around the world are broken up in South Asia in appalling conditions which lead to hundreds of deaths and injuries each year and serious coastal pollution. The EU has a duty to take action to protect the health and safety of the workers involved and reduce the pollution these activities are causing.” It’s time to ship-wreck in a clean manner.<BR/><BR/>Huma Siddiqui<BR/><BR/>Posted online: October 15, 2007<BR/><BR/>The Financial ExpressAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755264.post-69674268635554094942007-10-15T10:54:00.000-07:002007-10-15T10:54:00.000-07:00Poor workers prefer toxic fumes to dying of poverty<BR/><BR/>Reuters<BR/>Published: October 10, 2007, 23:51<BR/><BR/>Alang Shipyard: After more than a year of protests by environmentalists, poor workers in west India have happily begun dismantling a controversial cruise liner, ignoring potentially serious risks to their health.<BR/><BR/>The breaking of the 46,000-tonne Blue Lady was given the go-ahead by India's Supreme Court last month after a long-running legal battle led by environmentalists, who said the Norwegian ship contained 900 tonnes of toxic waste like asbestos.<BR/><BR/>Every day, hundreds of ship breakers at the Alang Shipyard in Gujarat state climb up and down the ladders stretching up to the towering 16-storey Blue Lady, bringing down tables, chairs and chandeliers.<BR/><BR/>Later, they will break down the entire ship.<BR/><BR/>Despite warnings on the risks involved, the workers have welcomed the Blue Lady, saying their health is secondary to the need to earn enough money to feed themselves.<BR/><BR/>"Forget toxic fumes and chemicals, I might die due to poverty," said 33-year-old Rafiq Shaikh, a migrant labourer and father of four who settled in Alang in 1993.<BR/><BR/>Shaikh lives in one of Alang's congested slums, sharing a single room with eight men, with no running water and electricity.<BR/><BR/>When there are no ships to break down, life is hard for the workers - eating in the open kitchens of the shipyard and collecting scraps of strewn garbage to sell for their evening meals.<BR/><BR/>While the legal battle over the Blue Lady was being fought in the capital's top court for over a year, many workers were forced to take on other jobs in nearby factories or running tea stalls, praying they would be given the go-ahead to dismantle the ship.<BR/><BR/>India's Supreme Court allowed the ship to be scrapped provided strict guidelines were followed to ensure worker safety. This includes decontamination before dismantling and proper disposal of toxic waste.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com