The piece of legislation that the Jatiya
Sangsad late last week adopted to discipline the country's ship-breaking
industry has been long overdue. Notwithstanding its importance in the economy
and the risks that it poses, when unregulated, to the environment, the
governmental efforts were too scanty for streamlining the ship recycling
industry that has flourished along the coastline of Chittagong since early
1980s. The industry that now employs hundreds of workers and makes available
more than half of the basic raw materials to the re-rolling mills, is one of
the largest in the world.
However, the industry did not originate
locally and grow spontaneously. When the cost of ship-breaking had gone
abnormally high in the developed countries, ship owners chose the developing
countries like China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Bangladesh to scrap their
vessels because of low cost of labour and lack of concern about environment and
safety issues in these countries. In Bangladesh, the local entrepreneurs took
the advantage of the situation. They started importing increasing number of old
vessels for dismantling along the coastline. However, the relevant agencies,
from time to time, issued a few rules to help contain environmental damage and
ensure safety requirements. But the enforcement of such rules, whatever these
were, was very lax.
Almost everything recovered from the
scrapping of a ship, including hull, engine, machinery, generators, furniture,
etc., is recycled and reused in Bangladesh. But the very method used in
scrapping of ships, lack of concern among the ship-breakers about the safety of
poor workers and disposal of environmentally hazardous goods and chemicals
turned out to be serious problems. Questions started pouring in from different
directions about environmental and safety issues. But such concerns had largely
fallen on deaf ears of the relevant authorities. Thus, all the pleadings for
taking appropriate measures to control the harmful activities were virtually
ignored. Under such circumstances, the industry continued to expand and the
steel manufacturing units, dependent on scrapped metal, witnessed an unabated
growth.
But environmental degradation apart, what
emerged as the most serious concern, is the physical safety of workers engaged
in dismantling of scrapped vessels. Hundreds of workers have died so far and a
few thousand more received serious injuries in accidents in ship-breaking
yards. The law passed by the parliament on ship-breaking contains certain
provisions to mete out punishment to individuals/organizations that violate its
provisions. The issue of workers' safety has also been taken care of. The
operators in the industry will now have to extend life insurance coverage to
each and every worker. More importantly, the law provides for establishment of
a separate zone for the ship-breaking industry that has been growing
haphazardly along the coastline in different shipyards.
The ship-breaking industry has been fetching
a handsome amount of revenues for the government. So, the industry deserves
fair treatment in all matters. But what should get top-most priority is the
country's environmental interests and workers' safety and security. The
industries ministry has fulfilled the first requirement by adopting the law in
question. But equally important will be its proper enforcement. Hopefully, the
government will not fail on this account.
Source:
the
financial express. 29 January 2017
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