The Visit of Shri. Sudhansh Pant to Alang Ship Recycling Yards: A Step Towards Sustainable and Responsible Ship Recycling Industry in India
On May 5, 2023, Shri. Sudhansh Pant, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Government of India, visited Alang ship recycling yards, located in the Indian state of Gujarat. Alang is known as one of the largest and busiest ship recycling destination in the world, and its ship recycling industry has been a significant contributor to India's economy for decades, providing employment opportunities to thousands of people and contributing significantly to the country's economic growth.
During his visit, Shri. Pant acknowledged the importance of the ship recycling industry in India's economy and stressed the need for sustainable and responsible practices in the industry. The visit aimed to assess the challenges and opportunities present in the industry and encourage the adoption of best practices to ensure safety and sustainability.
The efforts of the Ship Recycling Industries Association (India) (SRIA) in Alang cannot be ignored. SRIA is an organization dedicated to providing a platform for stakeholders to collaborate and share best practices to improve the industry's overall safety and sustainability. The yards in Alang have made significant progress in improving their practices and adhering to safety and environmental regulations. Their efforts have been instrumental in transforming the ship recycling industry in India, making it more sustainable, responsible, and safe.
One of the leading examples of such transformation is the Bansal yard, which has a state-of-the-art facility, equipped with advanced technologies and infrastructure that allow for the safe and environmentally friendly recycling of ships. During Shri. Sudhansh Pant's visit, he inspected various ship recycling operations carried out at the Bansal yard and met with the ship recyclers. The Secretary was impressed with the yard's operations, which were carried out with the utmost care and attention to safety and environmental protection. Bansal's efforts and achievements are a testament to the industry's transformation and a model for other yards to follow, he also visited Priya Blue Industries, another prominent ship recycling yard in Sosiya.
During the interaction, Rohith Agarwal, a leading and distinguished figure in the ship recycling sector, briefed Shri. Pant on the ship recycling industry's growth, evolution towards better practices, and adoption of new technologies for improved safety and environmental protection. Mr. Agarwal's expertise and insights have been instrumental in promoting safety and sustainability in the industry. The developments made by Bansal yard in recent years were also discussed.
The yards in Alang have also been working towards sustainable and responsible practices by adopting the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which aims to ensure that ships are recycled in a safe and environmentally friendly manner and addresses concerns such as hazardous waste management, working conditions, and the protection of human health and the environment.
Shri. Sudhansh Pant's visit to the Alang ship recycling yards was not only aimed at gaining an understanding of the operations but also to meet the members of SRIA and understand their perspective on the challenges and opportunities present in the industry. This interaction provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by the industry and the measures that could be taken to overcome them.
Shri. Sudhansh Pant's visit to the Alang ship recycling yards highlights the government's commitment to promoting the growth and development of the industry while also emphasizing the importance of responsible and sustainable practices in the industry. The Secretary's visit to Alang is expected to further strengthen the collaboration between the government and the ship recycling industry, and promote the adoption of best practices to ensure safety and sustainability in the industry.