Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 |
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Industry & Economy
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Environment Logistics - Shipping Alang yard awaits Clemenceau's arrival Gaurav Raghuvanshi
Ahmedabad , Jan. 3 ALANG is fully geared up to break the decommissioned French aircraft carrier Clemenceau if it can sail through the controversy surrounding it and come to the Gujarat coast. "We have in place complete infrastructure for storage and disposal of hazardous waste in ships that come to Alang for breaking. There are strict regulations that govern the industry and permission to beach and break a ship is given only after all conditions are met," said Mr H. K. Dash, Chairman of Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). Clemenceau set sail on its final journey from Toulon in southern France on December 31 and will be dismantled by Shree Ram Scrap Vessels Ltd at Alang. The vessel is expected to yield nearly 26,000 tonnes of steel but has got mired in controversy over the amount of asbestos, a hazardous material, present on the ship. Mr Dash said that the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has already given a no-objection certificate to the ship in July 2005. Once the ship arrives on the Gujarat coast, GMB will come into the picture as the regulator for the Alang yard. Mr Atul Sharma, Environment Officer with GMB, told Business Line that ships being brought in for breaking have to get clearance from a host of agencies such as the Central Pollution Control Board, GPCB and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board before they can beach. Alang is fully equipped to handle the asbestos present on the ship without contaminating the sea or land, Mr Sharma said. The world's largest ship breaking yard has a specially designed dumping pit for asbestos and glass wool and two other pits for other waste materials generated in ship breaking, he said. "It does not matter how much asbestos is present on the ship. What is more important is whether the asbestos is present as in-built or free form. We do not expect large quantities of asbestos in free form that can spread through air or water and cause pollution," Mr Sharma said.
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