Abysmal working conditions and pollution
in Alang were first documented by Greenpeace in 1998. Following actions by
local NGOs, the Supreme Court issued several rulings demanding the improvement
of the industry in order to bring it in line with national and international
requirements for safe working conditions, environmental protection and waste
trade law.
The Government responded with the
adoption of the Ship Recycling Code in 2013, and the Gujarat Maritime Board
(GMB) set up a waste reception facility.
Workers now also receive a very basic
training.
Still, the working and living conditions
for shipbreaking workers, as well as the environmental protection standards in
Alang, remain alarmingly poor. According to local sources, at least 8 workers
died at the yards in 2017. Yet absolute numbers of fatalities are not easily
attainable, and serious injuries are rarely recorded. Occupational diseases are
furthermore not documented at all.
Impunity for yard owners remains a
serious concern: no yard owner has ever been held responsible for the death of
a worker as they manage to put pressure on the law enforcers to quickly drop
the charges.
From four yards in Alang receiving
Statements of Compliance (SoC) with the Hong Kong Convention in 2015, there are
now reportedly 66 yards that have one, out of a total of 154 yards. The
industry push to make Indian beaching seem “green” has been promoted through
the proliferated hand-outs of these certificates. However, the standard set by
the HKC is weak and ignores crucial issues such as labour rights and downstream
waste management. Disregard of the negative environmental impact of the
beaching method, including hazardous operations in the intertidal zone and the
use of the gravity method – which the Hong Kong Convention does not prohibit –
remain serious concerns, as does the lack of proper accommodation and medical
facilities for workers. Asbestos contaminated materials can be resold in India
and there is no proper disposal site for PCBs. In October 2017, NGOs were
refused access to the Alang shipbreaking area by the Gujarat Maritime Board to
open up the site.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE?
ATTEMPT TO VISIT THE ALANG SHIPBREAKING AREA
In light of the many yards that rapidly
obtained Hong Kong Convention Statements of Compliance in Alang in the past
year, the Platform requested the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to visit the
area. Despite some first exchanges with the GMB through our member organisation
Toxics Link, the GMB interrupted the communication once the participants’ list
to the visit was shared with them. Consequently, the Platform was not given the
permission to visit the Alang shipbreaking area, nor was the Platform given the
opportunity to contest the GMB decision to refuse access, as there was no
formal rejection to the request.
Although not entirely unsurprising, this
was a missed opportunity for the yards and the GMB to show the claimed
improvements, and to demonstrate that they are open to listen to the concerns
of civil society. The unwillingness to receive NGOs in the shipbreaking yards
illustrates that there is still a serious lack of transparency in the industry
in India, both from the yard owners and the authorities.
CONFERANCE WITH INDIAN
NGOs
The failed attempt to visit Alang did
not deter the Platform from going to India in October 2017, as the different
members and board members met for the Annual General Meeting in Delhi.
The occasion was used to also have a
larger conference with other Indian NGOs on the issue of shipbreaking in India.
During this event, the NGOs could identify specific needs of improvements in
the industry and learn from each other’s experiences. Since that meeting, the
Platform has established stronger relationships with local NGOs and activists.
Source: Hellenic shipping news. 11 June 2018
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