Topic > Alang, the story of the world's largest shipbreaking industry in Gujarat

Located on the coast of Gujarat about 50 km from Bhavnagar city, the world's largest shipbreaking industry is located in Alang. A graveyard for around 450 ships each year that reach its shores after being deemed unfit for any future use, Alang surprises the world with its ability to not only host commotion on such a large scale but also with the pleasing value it has generated in the process. The construction site has grown every year since it became operational in 1983 and is estimated to generate as much as 6,000 million dollars. Started as an initiative of the state government to create employment for a large number of unskilled workforce, it now employs not only the local population but has over the years attracted cheap labor from across the country; most of them are from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ship dismantling is a process that involves scrapping and dismantling the discarded ship by removing all gears and equipment, reducing the ship into small parts and recycling them. This activity, before 1983, was hosted by selected shipyards in Taiwan, Mexico, Spain, Brazil and Great Britain. Due to the high cost of labor in developed countries, coupled with their stringent environmental regulations and human rights issues, these countries have found it advantageous to get rid of waste at a highly economical price by disposing of their decommissioned ships on the coasts of Alang. As a result, India becomes the cream of the crop in shipbreaking industries globally, due to its minimum paper standards and their poor implementation. Followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh remain weak solely due to their size. Alang holds around 173 plots to carry out the recycling and dismantling business which provides employment to around 30,000 unorganized jobs directly in Alang and another thousand are provided employment opportunities indirectly in allied industries. .Nevertheless, the city pays a high price for its good fortune. The structural complexity of ships coupled with safety, environmental and health concerns means the industry raises eyebrows. The exposure of workers to harmful chemicals and the disposal of substances such as asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, lead, mercury and chlorofluorocarbons into the environment make the industry dangerous for work. Furthermore, regular cases of oil spills in the water have led to contamination of the marine ecology around the area. Workers must also struggle to have access to basic services such as water, sanitation, shelter, toilets, electricity and adequate drainage systems. Migrant workers are not eligible for any government programs implemented for local village populations in and around shipbreaking yards. A 2014 study commissioned by the National Human Rights Commission found that there were 470 “reported” deaths between 1983 and 2013. In December last year another worker died when a fire broke out in tankers being dismantling on the construction site. In this regard it is important to remember that the Final Report of the Committee of Technical Consultants appointed by the Court of Cassation highlighted the pathetic situation faced by these workers: the average annual incidence of fatal accidents in the shipbreaking industry is 2.0 per 1,000 workers, while the incidence of fatal accidents across India during the same period.