Technical
assistance body formed
The
Ministry of Industries (MoI) is going to extend help to the shipbreaking and
recycling industry in the light of suggestions and rules of International
Maritime Organization (IMO) and Basel Convention and by forming a Technical
Assistance (TA) body.
The
MoI Secretary in-charge Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said in early January the
government is going to form a TA committee to help the ship breakers as they
abide by the international rules as well as rules in the gazette published by
the government.
He
said ship-breaking is currently following the government's Ship Breaking &
Recycling Rules 2011. There were no particular laws for them before 2011.
The
MoI Secretary said the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) has
shown its interest to support the ship-breaking industry in accordance with
international standard and law of the land.
He
said although the agency was already helping, possible help on a big scale was
still at the stage of negotiation with the ministry of industries.
Another
MoI official said, "First we want to bring the shipbreaking industry under
a particular rule and gradually the sector will be supported by the government
and different international agencies as we want the industrialists to follow
rules. We are marching ahead."
The
source also said the government has recognised ship-breaking as an industry in
the year 2011 and has published a gazette to regularise the industrialists
under particular rules.
The
Secretary said prior to the gazette there were no clear guidelines for the shipbreakers.
He said the government has designed rules on safety, environment pollution,
human health, disposal of toxic chemicals and other important issues.
The
Bangladesh Ship Breaking & Recycling Rules 2011 has been formulated by
following the rules and suggestions of the IMO, BASEL Convention and Hong Kong
Convention.
After
putting the Act in place, the industry ministry is trying its best to monitor
and supervise the industry to create impetus to force the ship-breakers to
maintain rules.
According
to data available from the MoI, currently Bangladesh is breaking 26 per cent of
the world's total scrapped ships, China 33 per cent, India 31 per cent and
Pakistan 4-5 per cent.
Statistics
shows that Bangladesh alone is dismantling more than one quarter of the world's
total abandoned ships and gradually the industry is rising.
Hefjatur
Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association (BSBA) said,
"We have been informed that the government is going to support the
ship-breaking industry and help us follow the shipbreaking rules."
The
BSBA president said, "We want to operate under a system and it is good for
us that the government has declared the sector as an industry and wants to
bring it under a particular law."
He
said once the environment and health-safety rules were materialised in the shipbreaking
sector, the practice would continue and everybody would maintain those in their
shipyards.
He
urged the government's help in installing Central Effluent Treatment Plant
(CETP) in the shipyards, where they may treat the toxic and hazardous
chemicals.
The
BSBA president also brought to the government's attention the fact that the
shipbreakers may join hands to help finance installation of the CETP as they
felt it was not possible for the government alone to install the toxic chemical
treatment plant.
He
also said according to the BASEL and Hong Kong Convention, when the ship
builders build ships, they are not allowed to use toxic chemicals. It has been
in practice since 1984 and 1990 respectively.
He
said after two to three years the scrapped ships would be toxicity-free and the
toxicity stored during carrying toxic chemicals by the ships in their operative
phase would be disposed of by using modern technology within a couple of years
in the shipyards.
He
said currently more than 20 years old ships are not allowed to be brought by
the shipbreakers as per international rules.
Source: the
financial express. By Shamsul Huda. 02 November 2012
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMTFfMDJfMTJfMV85MF8xNDg1Nzc=
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