Supreme Court (SC) agreed Monday to allow shipbreaking yards more time to meet tougher safety and environmental rules, allowing them to operate until at least mid-October, reports Reuters.
Judges backed a lower court's ruling two weeks ago that extended the deadline for the $1.5 billion ship scrap industry to implement strict government rules aimed at protecting workers and reducing the level of pollution.
"The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the High Court and we will be able to import and dismantle old ships until the extended date," Salah Uddin, an advisor of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association, told news agency. The deadline is October 12.
Rights activists had hoped the court would reinstate a year-long ban on the industry, saying its activities remained too dangerous for workers and too costly for the environment. The ban was lifted in March 2011.
The High Court lifted the ban after industry vowed to adopt strict rules to protect workers, such as an age limit of at least 18, training and proper safety gear, and cleansing of toxic material from ships prior to arrival.
Scrapped ships are the main source of steel for the impoverished nation, which requires around 4.0 million tonnes each year.
Source: The Financial Express. 9 August 2011
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