| Abstract: :: Ship breaking is the process of dismantling an obsolete vessel's structure for scrapping or disposal. In India, the ship breaking industry is concentrated in Alang area, situated 50Kms from the Bhavnagar city on the Gulf of Cambay. This is the world's largest ship breaking industry. Occupational health and safety precautions do not exist in the ship breaking industry. Ship breaking in India is labour intensive and all the work – from cutting to loading – is done manually. Ship breaking carries a very real risk to life. By any standards, the demolition of ships is a dirty and dangerous occupation. The ships on the beach in Alang come largely from the developed world. Many of the shipping companies are based in Europe. These ship-owners make huge profits by selling their ships to India. It is felt that apart from the activists and civil society organizations, the government needs to take a more proactive role to improve the conditions in the ship breaking industry. The government should form a committee which would work on various aspects of ship breaking industry. It should also frame policies to ensure the protection of workers' rights and also aimed at protecting the environment from the pollution generated by the ship breaking activities. | |
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