Leaders of Bangladesh Ship-breaking Association (BSBA) and industries yesterday demanded immediate introduction of a set of rules for dismantling ships in an environmental-friendly condition.
They made this call at a time when restriction on import and dismantling of ship posed a great threat to ship-breaking industry and forced related industries like re-rolling mills on the verge of closure.
Sources said since ship-breaking activities started around 40 years back so far some 100 yards have been created along the Sitakunda coast supplying raw materials to many sectors, mostly re-rolling mills, and contributing a lot to construction sector in the country.
The industry provides 2.2 to 2.5 million tonnes scrap iron as raw materials for some 700 re-rolling mills as well as for steel mills annually. It also has been a great source of raw materials for molding factories, cables, motors, circuit-breakers, glass, wheels, electric equipment and parts and furniture.
It has created direct employment for some 250,000 people and indirect employment for another 750,000 while providing the country annual revenue of around Tk 7 billion.
But, ban on import of scrap vessels has forced some 75 ship-breaking yards, out of 100, to suspend dismantling activities disrupting supply of the vital raw material.
Bangladesh Re-rolling Mills Association President Mohammad Ali said, due to crisis of raw materials some 180 re-rolling mills out of some 400 have already been closed down while many others are facing closure.
Short supply of scrap irons and MS (mild steel) rods are feared to affect the construction industry seriously and aggravate the housing problem, he observed.
“There is a conspiracy to restrict ship breaking on citing the issue of environmental pollution here in Bangladesh when more environment-conscious countries like neighbouring India is allowing dismantling of ship,” he alleged.
He said price of rods has already shot up to Tk 48,000 from Tk 38,000 per tonne in the last three months.
When contacted DoE, Chittagong Director Zafar Alam said there are 123 ship-breaking yards along the Sitakunda coast. Of them, 60 got DoE approval.
Process for formulating a policy for ship-breaking started with formation of a committee headed by Chittagong University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Md Aluddin and concerned experts nearly a year back. A draft of the policy was submitted to the concerned ministry by early September last year.
“As far I know an English version of the policy has been prepared and the draft is now in final stage,” said the DoE director while talking to daily sun.
BSBA leaders accused some Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) of companying in a planned way to get a ban slapped on import of scrap vessel on the plea of environmental pollution and through misguiding the government and the judiciary.
“It is a conspiracy to destroy the potential industry in Bangladesh
“At first we were given six-month time to obtain clearance certificate from Department of Environment (DoE) after fulfilling some criteria ensuring safety of environment for running the business,” he said.
“We fulfilled most of the criteria and started opening L/C for import of scrap vessel when BELA (Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association) misguided the DoE and the judiciary to impose a ban import on the plea of environmental pollution,” he said.
“But, the extent of pollution caused by this industry would not be one-forth of what is caused by tannery, dying, chemical factories and vehicles everyday,” said Zafar adding that the yard owners here never brought any vessel that carried nuclear materials that could cause massive pollution.
“We have developed system to remove asbestos and dispose off the oily residuals, if there is any, and other solid wastes for recycling or reuse.
BSBA always wants to run the industry without ham ping environment.
“In this regard we have also proposed the government for setting up a model yard with the fund to be provided by the BSBA. In the proposal made one and a half years back we also sought one year time to develop all the yards or make them compliant following the model yard,” said the BSBA leader.
Besides, the association also proposed for developing a dumping ground, as exist in some neighbouring countries, where all the yards could dispose the wastes paying a fee for recycling those later, said Zafar.
It has been a conspiracy to destroy ship-breaking industry, designed to keep the re-rolling mills dependent on imported billets and raise price of rods to as high as Tk 100,000 per tonne from Tk 40,000 per tonne, observed Zafar.
The BSBA and BRMA leaders said the ship breaking industry here involves a huge investment of around Tk 200 billion while the re-rolling industry involves around Tk 150 billion.
So, with the recent ban on ship dismantling huge investment of around ship-breaking and re-rolling industries are becoming idle. The financial liabilities of these industries will mount.
If the ban continues it is not unlikely that the owners of these two industries will be forced to go far retrenching workers, they observed.
If these workers take to the streets demanding reinstatement in job then it will be embarrassing for the present government, which is committed to providing job for one in each family in the country.
So, there are lots of reasons to believe that the ban on dismantling and import of ship is a conspiracy to destroy the construction sector that contributes more than 20 per cent to the gross domestic product, they observed.
They sought immediate intervention of the Prime Minister and the high-ups of the government to save the vital industry.
Arrangement can be made to make the NGOs and BSBA sit face to face before the concerned ministries and the court to get everything clear, they said.
They also called to help run the ship-breaking industry under the direct supervision of concerned ministries.
Source: The Daily Sun, Bangladesh. 24 January 2011
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