To
Shri G K Vasan
Union Minister of Shipping
Government of Inda
New Delhi
Subject-IMO Policy of Dumping Hazardous Ships on Alang
Beach & European Double speak
Sir,
This is to draw your attention towards the
anti-environment and anti-labour stance of the recently concluded 4th
TradeWinds Ship Recycling Forum that was held in Singapore during 12-13 March
2012, the Steel Scrap Summit held on February 9, 2012 in Gurgaon, IMO’s Marine
Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), 63rd session held during February 27 –
March 2, 2012 and the views of Shri Julio Garcia Burgues,Head of the Waste
Management Unit. European Commission – DG Environment revealed in the letter of
Shri Rajgopal Sharma, Advisor, Indian Embassy, Brussels dated December 20,
2011. It is revealed in the letter that most of the 200 dead and hazardous
ships that are currently at Alang beach are in illegal traffic.
I submit that a letter dated December 22, 2011 sent by
your ministry annexed Shri Sharma’s letter. He has sent a report on his
conversation with Shri Burgues in the matter of shipbreaking in India. The
letter to the fact that 17 % of the international merchant fleet is flying EU
flags and when after 25 years they become obsolete, most of them are
transferred to Indian waters because of weak shipping, occupational and
environmental health and regulations.
This letter reveals that “The EC (European Commission)
is of the view that at present, most of the trade for recycling (dismantling)
is illegal considering the provision of Regulation No. 1013/2006.” This
regulation refers to EU Waste Shipment regulation. Although International
Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Ship Recycling Convention drafted and adopted in
Hongkong at the behest of ship owning companies and developed countries is
unlikely to be ratified by India due to resistance from industry groups and
environmental groups, Shri Sharma’s letter shows that “the EC proposes to have
a new regulatory regime based on key requirements of IMO Hongkong of 2009 on
ship recycling (dismantling)”.
I submit that this conversation appears to be linked to
the negotiations underway for India-EU Free Trade agreements.
I submit that NGOs and trade unions from Europe and US
do not represent the migrant workers at Alang beach, Bhavnagar, Gujarat and the
environmental health concerns related to ongoing pollution of the beach and
other ports. The Northern civil society groups have co-opted the Southern civil
society space by paying lip service with ulterior motives in furtherance of the
cause of their funders.
I submit that on December 20, 2011, Shri Burgues
informed Shri Sharma in Brussels that all the dead ships which come to India
and other shipbreaking states are illegal under European Commission’s EU Waste
Shipment Regulation, 2006 and in order to legitimize the same, EC has plans to
start the process of diluting and amending its Regulation from April 2012
onwards. This insincerity and double speak of EC reveals that EC is under
tremendous influence of ship owning companies so much so that it has chosen not
defend its own Regulation. It plans to downgrade its Regulation to make it
compliant with yet to be born Hong Kong Convention. The fact is that the
Convention is unlikely to take birth because shipbreakers and environmental
groups in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are bitterly opposed to it.
I submit that EC under the influence of companies feels
that it is one of the ways to support its contracting economy and prolonged
recession besides secretly signing free trade agreements with developing
countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
It appears that economic crisis in Europe has turned
environmental NGOs there to become nationalists and compelled them pay lip
service to environmental and occupational health concerns in South Asia. IMO
and its masters, the ship owners must be quite glad at the turn of the events.
I submit that the hollowness of proposed Guidelines for
safe and environmentally sound ship recycling se guidelines, along with the
Guidelines for the development of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials and the
Guidelines for the development of the Ship Recycling Plan can be gauged from
the fact that they are voluntary improvements meant to meet the requirements of
the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound
Recycling of Ships, which was adopted in May 2009 amidst opposition from
labour, environmental and industry groups from South Asia.
I submit that Dr Nikos Mikelis, Head of the Marine
Pollution Prevention and Ship Recycling Section of IMO’s statement, it was
“neither logical nor ethical to stop sending ships to South Asia” has been made
at the behest of European and Japanese ship owners demonstrating complete
disregard to the fragile coastal environment of Alang beach, which has been
heavily contaminated and it is crying for remediation.
I submit that the steps being envisaged by DG
Environment’s Office of the European Commission for a new EU Regulation in
place of EU Waste Shipment Regulation currently being finalised in Brussels is
diluting the latter to fine-tune European law with the regressive Hong Kong
International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of
Ships that allows ship owners and shipbreakers to pollute the South Asian
beaches of Alang, Chittangong and Gadani in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In
India, progressive steps like the ones taken in the matter of Sachana
shipbreaking plots in Jamnagar district, Gujarat by its closure as per the
order of Gujarat government merits attention.
“The shipbreaking is termed illegal because this
breaking activity is going on in the water of Marine National Park. Unless and
until, Government of India gives permission, such activity cannot be carried
out in the Marine National Park area because Marine National park Jamnagar is a
important sanctuary where marine life of excellent quality live,” states the
order dated 22-11-2011 from the Office of Chief Forest Conservator “to cancel
the plots allotted of Sachana shipbreaking yard. These plots are in the land of
Forest/Marine Sanctuary”.
The order concludes, “GMB has never taken the official
permission for the shipbreaking activity. Whatever activity is carried out by
GMB is the violation of the rules of Marine National Park. So this activity
must be stopped until the permission is granted. GMB must be careful regarding
this. If they continue this activity, it will be violation of the rules and the
authorities of GMB will be personally responsible for this violation. GMB has
never taken the official permission for the ship-breaking activity. Whatever
activity is carried out by GMB is the violation of the rules of Marine National
Park. So this activity must be stopped until the permission is granted. GMB
must be careful regarding this. If they continue this activity, it will be
violation of the rules and the authorities of GMB will be personally
responsible for this violation.”
The order reads, “Because of shipbreaking, harmful
objects like arsenic, mercury, asbestos, oil, etc could harm marine life in the
long time. This leads to complex problems for protecting and conserving the
Marine National Park and Marine sanctuary.”These observations are quite
relevant for the shipbreaking operations on Alang beach, Bhavnagar as well.
IMO’s MEPC is meant to protect marine environment but its Hong Kong Convention
is supporting status quo of ongoing pollution on South Asian beaches even as
European beaches are fiercely protected. It is a classic case of double
standard.
I have learnt that
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture is
examining this matter.
In view of the above, I submit that IMO’s Hong Kong
International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of
Ships that was adopted in May 2009 is unsafe, unsustainable. Government of
India must realize that it is the child of ship owning companies of Europe and
Japan and desist from signing or ratifying it.
I will be happy to share relevant papers in this
regard.
Thanking You,
Yours Faithfully
Gopal Krishna
ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
New Delhi
Phone: +91-11-2651781, Fax: +91-11-26517814
Mb: 9818089660
Cc
- Union Minister of Environment & Forests
- Union Minister of Steel
- Union Minister of External Affairs
- Union Minister of Commerce & Industry
- Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
Source: Bargad. 15 March 2012
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