Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Thursday sought replies from the Centre and the state government in response to a Public Interest Litigation seeking measures for ensuring labourers' safety and coastal security at Alang shipbreaking yard in Bhavnagar district.
A division bench of
Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice JB Pardiwala gave respondents
two weeks' time.
Earlier, the court
had issued notices to Ship Recycling Industries Association of Alang, Gujarat
Maritime Board, Union Ministries of Labour, Steel, Environment and Forests and
Home Affairs, Gujarat Home Ministry and state Labour and Employment Department.
The PIL, filed by
Bhavnagar resident Pradeepsinh Gohil, claims that workers of the famous
ship-breaking industry at Alang lack housing, health and sanitation facilities
that are guaranteed under the labour laws.
"Thousands of
labourers are living in slums close to the shipbreaking yard with little or no
sanitary facility. Workers die or sustain severe injuries owing to explosions,
fire, falling steel plates, gas leakage, inadequate safely measures during
cutting or by suffocation," the petition says.
"However,
there is a lack of full-fledged hospital to deal with emergency and
life-threatening situations," it says.
This apart, the
area is vulnerable to terrorist attack, it says. "The police personnel at
Marine police station near Alang shipbreaking yard do not have patrolling
boats. There is no specialised commando unit or anti-terrorist squad," it
says.
The PIL has also
demanded curbing of polluting practices at the yard. The next hearing is on 17
July.
Source: first
post. 4 July 2014
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