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A worker uses metal cutter as others carry to
dismantled parts of decommissioned Indian Navy Ship INS Vikrant. File photo
Denmark’s Maersk Line, the world’s largest
container shipping company, will send more decommissioned vessels to shipping
yards in Alang for recycling at competitive prices and without harming the
environment, according to a senior official.
“Our objective is to recycle our vessels in
the responsible way and at the same time at a competitive price,” Annette
Stube, Head of Sustainability,Maersk Group told The Hindu.
“This shows why we came from China and Turkey
and why we are not going to Bangladesh and Pakistan (where standards are very
poor). We have seen development in India where four yards have started
operating at far superior levels,” she said.
“We are coming to India as it gives us an
opportunity to push development in the local ship recycling industry,” she
added.
Improving standards
The company is working with ship breakers as
well as Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to improve the standards and working
environment at Asia’s biggest ship breaking yard.
Maersk Lines is expected to retire about 30
vessels in a few years with most of them headed here.
The company, which operates a fleet of over
600 large container vessels, has been recycling its vessels in China and
Turkey.
But now it has decided to look at India as an
alternate destination as well as for financial reasons.
The company has already sent two vessels —
Maersk Wyoming and Maersk Georgia — to Shree Ram Vessel Scrap Pvt. Ltd. for
dismantling after extensive audit of its facilities.
“We foresee that many more vessels will come
to Alang in the next five years as will need to recycle more vessels than
before,” Ms. Stube said.
Shree Ram, which has four yards at Alang, is
upgrading them to Maersk’s standards. Another recycler, Y.S. Investments, which
has upgraded its yard and labour practices, is expecting to receive a Maersk
vessel shortly.
‘Responsible place’
“Our vision for Alang is that it becomes a
responsible place to recycle vessels. This will help the yard owners and the
entire area,” Ms Stube said.
Maersk is helping local ship breakers to
achieve high standards as per the International Maritime Organisation and Hong
Kong Convention (HKC) which set occupational health and safety standards for
workers.
Shree Ram’s workers get minimum wage of
Rs.260 while gas cutters working on ships earn Rs. 375 a day. They work for
eight hours a day and get 200 per cent overtime payment.
They are housed in dormitory facility and are
trained to handle hazardous substances, including asbestos and chemical waste
which is sent to GMB’s waste management facility.
“I have been working here for five years and
earn Rs.325 for eight hours work. I am happy to have a better working
condition,” said Avdesh Kumar Sulka (35), a gas cutter at Shree Ram who hails
from Uttar Pradesh.
Shree Ram has extended the impermeable floor
which has resulted in the reduction of intertidal zone by 60 percent thus ensuing
handling of scrap and oily parts on a concrete floor untouched by sea water.
In 2015, out of the total 768 ships recycled
globally, 469 vessels — representing 74 per cent of the total gross tonnage
scrapped — were sold to ship breaking yards on beaches in India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh where working and environmental conditions are questionable. Alang
gets 35 per cent all ships scrapped globally.
Better place
Though considered a graveyard of ships and
known for causing environmental hazards for decades, Alang is changing for the
better.
GMB has fixed guidelines for disposal of
hazardous substances and provides mandatory safety training to workers.
Doctors at the local Red Cross Hospital
report that the rate of fatal accidents has come down drastically.
“There has been a sharp decline in fatal
accidents. Out of 90 patients who come here per day, three or four patients
come with finger or burn injury,” said Dr. Raghavbhai Lakhani, the head of Red
Cross Hospital, Alang.
According to local residents the number of
fatalities has come down to four or five for the last three years from to 10 to
14 previously. This year, till now, one worker had lost his life.
Migrant workers from Bengal, Bihar, Odisha
and Jharkhand stay in slums close to the yards. Maersk is working with the
yards and GMB to improve housing facilities. GMB had already constructed houses
for 1,000 workers.
Changing scenario
“I am very thankful to Maersk Line that they
have started their journey from Alang with us,” said Chetan Patel, Director,
Shree Ram Vessels Scrap.
“After Maersk’s ships arrived at Shree Ram,
the scenario is changing. Several ship breakers are gearing up improve their
yards to work with responsible shipping lines,” he added.
Maersk said it would work only with yards
that have strong anti-corruption norms and follow high standards of labour
practices and human rights. The yards must adhere to the norms on intertidal
zones and have a facility for downstream waste management.
The ship breaker must have an impermeable
floor and provide constant safety training. It should also provide insurance
cover and provident fund for workers besides a dormitory facility.
Maersk is also enforcing attendance
management system for all workers besides facilitating annual health check-up.
It is also ensuring a workers’ committee is formed at the facility in the
absence of a workers’ union. The yard must issue formal appointment letter and
pay slips for all employees as per Maersk’s policy.
The company has stationed its personnel at
Shree Ram’s facility to ensure that its standards are implemented.
Positive feedback
“We are here for the long haul. The
collaboration with Shree Ram has been very good. They have exceeded our
expectations. We are looking at working with more recyclers,” said Captain
Prashant S.Widge, Head of Ship Recycling Group Sustainability, Maersk Group.
Alang has about 170 ship breaking yards out
of which 80 to 100 are functional. Now several of them are working to achieve
superior standards.
(This correspondent visited Alang at the
invitation of the Maersk Lines)
Source:
the
hindu. 16 October 2016
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