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Shipyards in Bombay, Gujarat violate environmental norms

Environmental samples collected from the shipyards of Bombay and Alang in Gujarat have revealed a high level of asbestos, heavy metals and toxic biocide, according to the Greenpeace.

The international organisation focussing on environmental issues said its investigation in October corroborated that both the yards "completely violated" the national and international legislation on health and safety.

Greenpeace representative in India, Nityanand Jayaraman said the high level of asbestos, heavy metals, tributyl tin (a toxis antifoulant biocide), paints and polychlorinated biphenyls are posing serious health hazards.

Besides frequent injuries and deaths due to explosions and fire, these toxins constantly poison the labourers. Nearly 40,000 casual workers are directly engaged in shipbreaking in Alang alone. Most of them are migrants, recruited by contractors from villages in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Orrisa, he said.

Shipbreaking can continue legally only if exporters decontaminate the vessels prior to export, and Indian breakers comply with the existing body of legislation on environment and worker rights protection.

The Greenpeace representative pointed out that the import of ships containing such hazardous materials was a clear violation of a 1997 May Supreme Court direction.

The agency is currently holding a photo exhibition of images from the yards. The event, organised in association with the Bombay Natural History Society and Sanctuary magazine, started Friday evening. A report, Scrap ships: steel and toxic wastes for Asia highlighting health and environmental hazards, was released on the occasion.

UNI

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