Ship breaking is an important activity, not only for
those involved with it but also for Bangladesh's economy. It makes significant
contribution to the global conservation of energy and resources. In Bangladesh,
almost 100 per cent of the materials collected from a ship scraps is recycled.
Contribution of ship breaking to inland shipbuilding in Bangladesh is enormous.
However, ship breaking in Bangladesh takes place on
sandy beaches without any satisfactory mechanism to prevent water and soil
pollution. Environmental pollution by other domestic industries like tannery,
dying, brickfield, inland/coastal vessels and road vehicles are not also less
severe. Actually, environmental awareness among different industries is still
very poor and ship breaking is no exception. Hazardous waste materials, which
cannot be recycled, are usually dumped on the spot due to lack of storage
facilities.
Occupational health and safety in the ship-breaking
industry can be ensured through strict monitoring by government's regulatory
bodies as well as imparting training to the workers and also providing them
with protective gears and equipment. Environmental pollution can be kept to a
minimum level by following standard international procedures for disposing
ship's materials. Development of detailed ship recycling guidelines for local
scrap yards is also a necessity for improving the standard of this industry.
Source: financial
express. 18 May 2015
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