Maritime Travelogue Diary :: Site Visit to Shubh Arya Steel Ship Recycling Yard
Visit to Shipyards, Boatbuilding Yards, Ports, On-Board Ships, Ship Recycling Yards is an experience enhancement tour for any Maritime Enthusiast to look forward to. We started our Maritime Travelogue Diary with our visit to the Facility of Shubh Arya Steel Ship Recycling Yard at Alang on June 28, 2022.
During our few hours long interactive tour, we have been briefed about the ship recycling yard infrastructure, facilities, equipment, Machineries and other means, modes, medians and practices being followed and used while carrying out Sustainable Ship Recycling at the facility of Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited.
Mr. Rajesh Arya, The Managing Director of the company has discussed and shared his journey of being a Responsible Ship Recycler from his early career days starting from ship recycling place in Mumbai known as Darukhana to seeding a prominent facility at Alang in Bhavnagar at Gujarat, India.
Things have significantly changed for good; the way ships have been recycled in India in last 3 decades, can be seen and experienced by visiting the large numbers of Ship Recycling Yards at Alang.
The Honorable Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2021-22 talked about the achievement of India’s ship recycling industry, including its potential to be doubled by 2024 and attract more end-of-life vessels to India from Europe and Japan.
While we are writing the first article of our Maritime Travelogue Diary for Shubh Arya Steel Ship Recycling Yard, there are other Ship Recycling Yards adjacent to Shubh Arya Steel which are equally responsible while carrying out The Sustainable Ship Recycling from their HKC approved facilities.
About Alang in Bhavnagar, Gujarat:
Alang and Sosiya Ports are part of the Gujarat Maritime Board, situated on Gulf of Cambay. Alang is the largest Ship Recycling Yard in the world since its Inception from 1982. More than 25,000 personnel directly & thousand other personnel indirectly associated and working with more than 130 Yards to extract various types of scraps and equipment for recycling and reusing while carrying out sustainable ship recycling.
The Company:
The Ship Recycling business was started in 1964 by Mr. Maniramji Arya, the founder of Shubh Arya Group, and grandfather of Mr. Rajesh Arya, present Managing Director of Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited.
Shubh Arya Group has recycled 147 ships with the total tonnage of 10,80,000 from 1986, there is no record of ships recycled before 1986 by the company. The present facility of Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited has been spread across 94 X 45 meters (4230 square meters).
The entire work force of Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited is highly efficient, rich in experience, not only from administrative perspective but also in regard to the manpower which is actively on the field. The labour force is continuously being trained in order to have awareness of the best practices around the Ship Recycling Industry and in order to ensure compliance with internationally accepted safety measures and norms. It is remarkable to note that the entire work force of the company has attended the first aid, firefighting and safety training at the Gujarat Maritime Board training center.
The Ship Recycling Yard Facility:
The entire Ship Recycling Yard of Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited has well-constructed and maintained infrastructure and storage. The cutting areas of the facility are properly maintained in order to ensure high efficiency for the yard and safety for the workforce.
The quality of the equipment used in the facility is such that may prevent any possibility of health risk to the workers and to the environment & population in the vicinity.
Some parts of the plant have been planted with Flower Garden which can be seen from the administrative office.
Hazardous Waste Management:
Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited is a member of TSDF / GEPIL site at Alang. With such collaboration, all the waste generated from the recycling activity is being stored in appropriate areas, and thereafter being collected and transferred by GEPIL, waste management facility which is identified by State Pollution Control Board.
Health, Safety & Environment Centre:
The facility has a first aid & medical center on the yard in order to ensure that any incident or accident that might occur shall be attended by the relevant experience and adequate training personnel.
All the labour is provided with personal protective equipment as may be necessary and depending on the work they are undertaking. Amongst others, some of the basic equipment which is provided is related with helmets, masks, gloves, boiler suits, safety belts etc. Medical check-ups on all the workforce are being done on regular basis.
Fire-Fighting Equipment & Emergency Vigilance:
Two fire-fighting pumps are available at the yard which are connected with underground firefighting tanks and operated by the relevant fire-fighting team of the facility. Regular fire-fighting drills are conducted on the yard.
Legal Compliance & Certifications:
The company is certified, including ISO 9001, 14001, 30000 & OHSAS 18001, while regular internal audits are taking place to ensure compliance and non-conformances proactively. Legal compliance is done at local, national and international level. The company also has RINA and ClassNK Certifications.
Corporate Social Responsibility:
Several National festivals are celebrated on the yard itself with the entire work force of the company. Regular medication is provided for common diseases to all the workers. The Pantry is available for all the staff members, workers and other guests visiting the yard. Also, Mr. Rajesh Arya has been kind citizen and generous donor for the various causes and societal issues.
As one of the responsible Ship Recycler, Shubh Arya Steel Private Limited has been practicing various other operational measures to protect the environment which cannot be completely covered in this Maritime Travelogue Diary article but same can be solicited on request from the company administrative team.
While our site tour ended with candid conversation with Mr. Rajesh Arya about his business model and vision for the Indian Ship Recycling Industry, we look forward to bringing another story soon as part of our Maritime Travelogue Diary.
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