Norms in ship-shape?

There8217;s a paradox at the heart of India8217;s ship breaking sector. While it happens to be the biggest in the world, it is also arguably the dirtiest. The Alang scrap steel yards, dotting Bhavnagar8217;s coastline, which are estimated to dismantle around half the world8217;s ships, have come to be known as the 8220;armpit of the world8221;. One of the reasons for the international popularity of the Alang yards is that it offers a cheap, and lucrative, alternative to what is otherwise an extremely expensive business. Indian ship dismantling yards do this by bending the norms. Most of the dismantling is effected in primitive conditions, manually. Those appointed to do this run the risk of incurring asbestosis the scarring of lungs which cause deathly respiratory problems and cancers, or have to reckon with unexpected explosions, even as the environment in which they work is intensely degraded.

The status of the Alang ship breaking yards has suddenly become a live one, with the French courts ruling that the French aircraft carrier, 8216;Clemenceau8217;, can go to India for dismantling. As The Sunday Express has just reported, there is a sorry lack of transparency on the exact percentage of asbestos in the ship8217;s structure, apart of course from the other toxic substances inherent in vessels of this kind, like polychlorinated biphenyles, poison gases, fuel oil and lead.

This is not to argue that India should shut down its ship breaking sector, which fetches the Gujarat government over Rs 3,000 crore annually. The 8216;Clemenceau8217; controversy should, instead, goad India into transforming itself into a modern ship recycling centre of the world, conforming to international standards. Indian courts have long been demanding that the industry cleans up its act. Apart from obvious environmental and health benefits, such a move makes economic sense. Ship breaking is becoming increasingly competitive, with China also throwing its hat into the ring, claiming that its ship breaking sector conforms to international safety, health and environmental standards. For India then, it8217;s a case of either being ship-shape, or shipping itself out of the market.