MG Jan 11 Ship Demolition - Prasant Behera

8/8/2019 MG Jan 11 Ship Demolition - Prasant Behera

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Need for Safe &

Sound RecyclingSeveral issues face the Indianship breaking Industry.Owing to improper handlingof toxic and hazardouswastes, the facilities to which

unclean ships are sent arenot only causing severehealth problems for workers,but are also posing immensedamage to the fragile beachecosystem. Its time to scrapthe unhealthy processes,says Prasant Behera.

Reduced demand for scrap

steel in Europe and Far EastAsia pushed the markets

to the Indian subcontinent,which employs low-cost beaching

method and manual labour for shipbreaking in life- and environment-

threatening conditions. The beachesof Alang-Sosiya and Mumbai on the

Western coast of India presently carryout ship dismantling administered by

the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB)

and the MumbaiPort Trust (MbPT)

respectively.State Pollution

Control Boards(SPCBs) conduct

periodical checksfor pollution

prevention.The Ministry of

Environment andForests (MOEF) is

the focal point in

the Government

Ship Demolition

maritime gatewayJanuary 2011

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of India for all matters relating to

the environment, pollution, HW andother waste management.

Most vessels are scrapped bygrounding a vessel on a beach which

does not provide any control forspillage of contaminants. The ship

breaking workers break massivesteel plates with gas cutters and gunhammers without proper protective

equipment resulting in a high casualtyrate. Ship-breakers exploit workers

by not providing safe drinking water,housing, medical treatment. Employee

benefits like provident fund andhealth insurance are non-existent due

to poor enforcement of regulations.

Alang The death knell

The ship breaking site located on theAlang beach, Bhavnagar in Gujarat

state scrapped about 350 vessels inthe fiscal year 2009-10, producingabout 3 million tonnes of scrap steel.However, industry reports indicatean average annual fatality figure of30 ship-breaking workers. Signs ofimprovement, though slow, can begauged from reduction in the numberover the past decade.

Ship recycling industry in Alangis an unorganised industry withcasual labour employed to dismantle

ships. More than 134 companiesare involved in ship scrapping

5,200ships

> 1accident

of various sizes havebeen dismantled inAlang since 1983.

per day occurs inship breaking yards,claim human rights

agencies.


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housing facilities, health care, safetyequipments and practices are areas

where the infrastructure could behugely improved. A lot needs to be

done in maintenance, monitoringand enforcement of safety procedures

and pollution prevention rules beforeAlang is also termed a safe and green

recycling facility, if not world-class.

Mumbai The dumpyard

Indias premier port was auditedby an Inter-Ministerial Committee

(IMC) audit in 2005 which had raisedserious questions on pollution in its

yards and lambasted the Mumbai PortTrust for the lack of an Environment

Management System and theMaharashtra Pollution Control Boardfor not identifying the sources of

water pollution.

The present situation in the 19ship breaking plots of Mumbai

Port Trust is no better, if not worse.Comparatively, Alang gives a moreresponsible and organised approachto ship scrappping. A site visit gives amessy and cluttered visual as unsafematerials like sludge can be seen inthe ship break yards lying unattended

which can potentially lead to firehazards and environmental hazards;

with possibility of oil sludge alsogetting washed away into the seaduring rains.

Measures for prevention and control of

pollution, particularly oil pollution inthe harbour, seem grossly inadequate.There is a broad spectrum of problemsfacing workers ranging from poor

conditions of employment and workto a total absence of any collective

bargaining or industrial relations.

spread over 170 plots. Some of thecompanies are ISO-certified and

have safety regulations in place. Theship breaking activity is hazardous

and regulated under the Factory

Act, which has laid down safetymeasures to be undertaken whilecarrying out ship breaking activity.

However, there are instances whenmany ship breaking companies do not

have adequate safety mechanisms,hazardous waste handling procedures

and equipment in place for migrantworkers who come first in line and

bear the brunt of any mishap.

Some major health fallouts of this

is workers suffering from breathing

problems, lung cancer (due toasbestos dust), anemia, nervoussystem (due to lead), eczemaand respiratory diseases (due to

chromium), lung and scrotum cancerbesides cell damage. Even burning

of solid waste in the open has beenidentified to release dioxins which

pose a threat to the suppression ofimmune system in pre-natal and post-

natal children.

GMB has taken several initiatives

to create common infrastructurefor the workers involved in the ship

breaking activity. It has created aLabour Housing Complex to provide

suitable accommodation with properinfrastructure facilities. Recently, GMB

has also acquired land of about 60acres in Alang and 14 acres at Sosiya

to create infrastructure for the shipbreaking industry. Safety training

is now mandatory for all workersbefore they get their working cards

and employed by a ship breaker

though the duration and frequencyof the course could be improved.

Ship-breaker licenses can be cancelledin case of any contravention of Ship

Recycling regulations, 2006.

But the negativity surrounding Alang

is still omnipresent. Transparencyhas always been a problem with

GMB when it comes to releasinginjury and fatality reports. GPCB

(Gujarat Pollution Control Board)has yet to publish data on soil,

water and air contamination resultsfor public scrutiny. Sanitation,


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Waste Handling in a ship breaking plot in India (July, 2010)

Case Study: Pipavav Shipyard

The Pipavav shipyard Limited (PSL) or the PipavavShip Dismantling and Engineering Limited as wasearlier known, was incorporated on October 17,

1997. It was Indias first eco-friendly dockyardfacility to dismantle ships using the most modern

technology without beaching ships.

But up till now there has never been a ship-for-scrap. This experience could provide insight andknowledge for the success of a similar project.

The Pipavav case study provides valuablelessons. On hindsight, the site location waswrong quite close to the largest ship breakingyard Alang. Also, the governments attitude dealta major blow to green ship recycling in Indiaas no subsidies were introduced for the shipbreaking industry. On the other hand, subsidiesfor the ship building sector helped PSL become a

successful yard in India.

Pipavav also highlights the demand for scrapsteel found nowhere in the world as much as in

the subcontinent. If the supply of scrap steel fromend-of-life ships is more or less the same for allregions (subcontinent and EU) or is attempted

to be made up like creating funds for top-classgreen shipyards, areas with maximum demandwill ultimately determine commercial viability.But even demand may not sustain ship breakingyards as long as local governments take steps

to support these facilities which call for majorinternational participation and funding.

Photos:PrasantBehera


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Workers do not even have themandatory protective gear of gloves,

overalls and helmets. They work withbare hands and live in subhuman

conditions in slums without clean

drinking water and electricity.

With so many laws, regulationsand reforms laid down to facilitate

safe and environmentally soundapproach and execution of ship

dismantling in India, the groundreality still doesnt reflect the above

measures. Part ignorance and partlack of infrastructure, training and

technology are attributed to the nearfailure of responsible undertaking of

the ship-dismantling business.

Identifying the Problems

A logical approach to address

this disturbing situation has beenproposed as below:

1. Distinguish between greenand non-green activities and

procedures existent in the breakingindustry

2. Create measures or deterrentsteps for non-green procedures to

prevent reoccurrence and /or fall

in line with green procedures

3. Hypothesise by generating

solutions to convert or enhanceunsafe and non-green capacity

to safe and green ship recyclingcapacity, and

4. Test the above hypotheses with

a multi-criteria evaluation anda case study to get the mostpromising alternative

It is worthwhile to collate variousactivities in the ship breaking

industry to identify sub-standardand potentially inefficient processes

or business models which havecaused a great deal of damage; some

reversible and mostly irreparablewith significant legacy costs. The

deaths and accidents in the ship

breaking yards are some which couldhave been completely preventable.

An average fatality rate of30 persons a year is not

tolerable and, least to say,not permissible.

Capacity estimation

Recent studies show that

25-36 per cent of thepredicted dismantling

volume can be handled atidentified green facilities

all over the world. A roughaverage estimate of green

capacity deficit would beover 72 per cent. India

at the most can handle acombined volume of 5.5

MLDTA for Alang andMumbai at its non-green

beaching facilities.

Alternatives

Three theories have beenproposed to be able tomeet the accelerated scrap

volume due to Marpol (49.1 per cent

or almost half of the World Volume)in a safe, clean and healthy way in

India.

1. The existing plots and beaches shall

accommo date all scrap tonnage

coming Indias way (Previousstudies have showed that there areno constraints as such to hinder

ship breaking with the usualbeaching method unless and until

major environmental, legal oradministrative changes prohibitive

such activity) and/or

2. The existing beaches add newer

beaching plots for ship breaking bythe usual beaching method and/or

3. Create new green ship recyclingdocks and piers, especially for ship

breaking.

Evaluation of the alternatives

A Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE)chooses the most promisingalternative to increase the safe and

green recycling capacity in India.

Suggestions &recommendations

The MCE findings are that in

India there is financial stabilityin beaching of vessels. Future of

additional beaching plots or greeneco-docks is not sustainable or

financially attractive in the absenceof a global fund mechanism assisting

green dismantling facilities. Indianauthorities need to immediately

address the problems arising out ofthe deplorable conditions of the ship

breaking and also putstringent measures to improve

recycling and waste handlingprocedures in the yards.

Identifying green activities from non-green onesNo. Activity

1. Ship-owner decides to sell the ship for demolition

2. Reflagging for demolition

3. Pre cleaning vessel for demolition

4. Partial cleaning for demolition

5. Ship-owner employs a broker to sell the ship

6. Ship is sold to a Cash buyer7. Cash Buyer trades vessel in Freight market

8. Cash Buyer reflags the ship before demolition

9. Cash buyer pre cleans before demolition

10. Cash Buyer partially cleans before demolition

11. Non compliant facility purchases the ship

12. Compliant facility purchases the ship

13. Vessel delivered to facility by beaching ship

14. Vessel delivered to facility by other methods

15. Dismantling and disposal of vessel in non-compliant facility

16. Dismantling and disposal of vessel in compliant facility

GlobalDismantlingVolumeProjection(Ships)

Global ShipRecyclingCapacity

Yards,Expandable

GlobalGreen ShipRecyclingCapacity

Sub-continentNon-greenShip Recy-cling Capacity

(Maximum72% of globalcapacity)

India ShipRecyclingCapacity(Maximum)

GlobalShortfallGreen shipRecyclingCapacity

Shortfall inRecyclingCapacityattributed toIndia

Global green ship recycling capacity shortfall

11.2 >11.2 2.8 8.0 5.5 8.0 5.5 (49.1%)

(Figures in Million Light Displacement Tons per Annum (MLDTA)

Ship Recycling


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To sum up, steps to upgrade Indias

ship break yards will require thefollowing:

Thepolluter(shipowner/operator) must decontaminate

the ships before sending them fordismantling;

Maritimeandpollutioncontrolboards should plan and ensure

that an authorised third-partyauditor does the expert monitoring

also environmentally friendly andprofitable

Considerationofinternationalduration limitations on vessel life

cycles

EstablishmentofaGlobal

Scrapping Endowment Fund inwhich shipbuilders would, as part of

the construction costs, include cashpayment for the expected costs ofships future demolition

AGlobalScrappingTaxFundinwhich taxes would be levied on

every ship (according to size andweight) in operation across in globe

Responsibilityofshipbuilderstoreacquire control of a vessel when

it is due for demolition and ensuresafe and environmentally sound

scrapping of each ship.

Prasant Behera ([email protected])

is the Alumnus of Netherlands MaritimeUniversity, Rotterdam.

Selecting the best alternative

providing maximum valuefor cost

Hypothesis or Alternative Value/

Cost

Rank

(Alternative 1)More ships per plot and no extraplots and yards on beaches 0.749 1

(Alternative 2)More ships on new plotsand yards in new beaches 0.499 2

(Alternative 3)Create new green ship

recycling docks and piers 0.0014 3


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Gujarat MaritimeBoard: Heading

to InclusiveGrowth

page no. 50

for docking, beaching, breaking,

cleaning and disposal operations;

Shipbreakersshould,withoutexception, provide basic living,medical and working conditions

for the welfare of ship breakingworkers. The ship breaking

companies or the primaryemployers shall ascertain health,

and insurance and gratuity benefits;and

Necessarychecksneedtobecarriedout by central government bodiesto ensure compliance with existing

and intended pollution rules andregulations. All accidents and

injuries, reported or real should beinvestigated; root causes identified,

adequately addressed and recordedfor future reference.

Internationally, major ship scrappingstakeholders and shipping nations will

have to come together in assuring asafe and clean ship recycling future.

Some likely steps to go forward are:

Improvementofvesseldesignthat

would not only make scrappingships less labour-intensive, but

Protest over excise notice

Work at Alang ship breaking yard came to a standstill during the end of December after yard owners,along with workers, stopped working to protest a notification issued by the Central Excise asking for aship-wise breakup of material obtained from dismantled vessels.

Ship-breakers were asked to periodically give details of excisable and non-excisable items obtained fromthe ships they bring for scrapping. They, in turn, protested on the grounds that as they dismantled morethan one ship at a time, it was not possible to furnish ship-wise details of the material obtained.

This notification comes in the wake of thick flying rumours that large scale duty evasion by some shipbreakers who used to inflate the quantity of non-excisable items, are prevalent here. Alang-Sosiya ShipRecycling Association (ASSRA) officials said the CE rules have created trouble for the industry.

In the current financial year, data from Gujarat Maritime Board, the state government body which regulatesthe industry at Alang, shows that 230 ships have already been dismantled. The entire 2010 had a figureof 348, thus making available around 3 million tonnes of steel for reuse.

Ships to be sent for recyclingwill be required to carryan inventory of hazardousmaterials, which will bespecic to each ship. Anappendix to the Conventionwill provide a list ofhazardous materials theinstallation or use of whichis prohibited or restricted inshipyards, ship repair yards,and ships of parties to the

Convention. Ships will berequired to have an initialsurvey to verify the inventoryof hazardous materials,additional surveys during thelife of the ship, and a nalsurvey prior to recycling.

As per the Hong Kong International Conventionfor Safe and Environmentally

Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009

Quoted

MG Jan 11 Ship Demolition - Prasant Behera

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