tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755264.post31667584960449416..comments2008-01-24T21:46:53.080-08:00Gopal Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17801809794795753601krishnagreen@gmail.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12755264.post-702768261303245312008-01-24T21:46:00.000-08:002008-01-24T21:46:00.000-08:00Japanese ship arrives at Gadani for Breaking<BR/><BR/>KARACHI: A Japanese ship weighing 16000 tonnes has anchored at Gadani for breaking.<BR/><BR/>Chairman Pakistan Ship Breakers Association Azam Malik said that the ship, built in 1980, is an oil tanker which has remained under the ownership of Total Petroleum Company.<BR/><BR/>The 810 ft long 14 metre wide and 65 ft high ship has a capacity to hold 90000 tonnes oil and used to transport oil from US to France.<BR/><BR/>The ship will be broken in the next three months. This will provide employment opportunities to hundreds of people, Azam said.<BR/><BR/>'Pakistan Times' Wire Service<BR/><BR/>Chittagong Ship breaking Yard: causing environmental problems<BR/><BR/>Scrap Ships provide about 80% of the country's steel needs. About 3 millions people are employed in the industry, among them 40 percent of the work force comprised by child labor. Chittagong ship breaking yard is a highly polluted coastal belt about 20km in length. The working conditions are very dangerous. Health and safety regulations for the workers are very poor. The industry, considering above-mentioned grim aspects, can be termed as a gift for a few, bane and curse for many and a catastrophic threat for the environment and aquatic lives.<BR/><BR/>Huge casualty has been occurring caused loss of lives every year. An alarming statistics shows such casualties left around 600 workers killed and another three thousand injured or disabled in the last 15 years. The casualties mainly result from oil or gas chamber blasts, flammable substances, fall from high places or sometime for heavy duty work load etc. The daily life of those labours who work full time inside is very poor.<BR/><BR/>Oil-spills from around 70 ship breaking yards has been endangering aquatic lives while yard enclosures make 16km beach at Solimpur, Shitakunda in Chittagong district out of bound for the fishermen.<BR/><BR/>The New NationAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com