Gujarat government's plan to upgrade the Alang Ship Recycling
Yard opposed by the operators
The
Japan-backed ambitious $22-million plan of the Gujarat government to upgrade
the Alang Ship Recycling Yard, which is the largest in Asia, has run into rough
weather with recyclers finding the project environmentally and financially
non-viablle, reports 'The Indian Express'.
Alang
Ship Recyclers Association has made it clear to the Gujarat Maritime Board that
they are not in a position to go for the project that involves construction of
a dry dock, improvement of existing plots and creating other facilities.
Recylcers
say the upgrade plan may bring 30-odd more ships to Alang for dismantling, but
it will also mean financial stress by way of increased debt, besides a new set of
rules and regulations by International Maritime Organisation convention to
contend with.
The
project was proposed to Chief Minister Narendra Modi by a Japanese delegation
comprising leading ship builders from Japan in February this year. The
delegation had twice visited Alang in Bhavnagar district.
Located
in Bay of Khambhat, Alang has an ideal environment for ship-breaking because of
extreme high and low tides. On an average 425 ships are recycled here on
annually on over 100 plots using a methodology called beaching.
Source: MarineLink
(Sourced from The Indian Express). 2 May 2012
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