Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on ship breaking has expressed concern over the safety of workers in Asia's largest ship breaking yard in Alang Gujarat, observing that the mechanism deployed to check decontamination or detoxification of vessels was inadequate.
It has emphasised need for devising and implementing adequate safeguards to ensure hundred per cent safe operations in Alang.
The high-power committee chaired by E K Bharat Bhushan, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor (AS& FA) Ministry of Steel, which met in Gujarat recently, was also dissatisfied over the 'nil' progress with regard to health and housing projects for workers in Alang, despite decisions being taken in earlier meetings of the IMC. "While the upkeep and system within the designated yards is more or less satisfactory, challenges to life and limb are ever present," Bhushan observed during the meeting.
"NGOs engaged in workers welfare have been representing repeatedly on the toxic nature of the surroundings in which the workers are required to work. Although, there is no direct evidence of any impending threats, it remains a fact that mechanism to check whether decontamination/ detoxification of vessels is hundred per cent completed before workers are deployed for breaking of ships appears to be inadequate," he said.
"Lack of coordination between Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and regulatory services like the (Gujarat) Pollution Control Board exist which compound this problem. Adequate safeguards have to be devised and implemented to ensure hundred per cent safe operations," Bhushan added. The IMC chairman also expressed dissatisfaction with regard to progress of health and housing projects for those working in Alang. "It is a matter of concern that at least on three counts viz. provision of housing to workers, provision of hospital and provision of ESIC cover, progress has been nil despite decisions adopted at earlier meetings of IMC. This is not a satisfactory state of affairs," the chairman observed. He stated that there was lack in progress on many fronts and this lack of coordination between the different agencies was a significant problem.
The Chairman of the IMC also observed that despite Alang being the one of the largest ship breaking facility in the world with presence of huge economic activities, large numbers of workers are engaged in difficult circumstances and have only minimal facility for healthcare and disaster relief.
The committee was also mulling to have representative of workers and NGO working for their welfare from next meeting of the IMC on ship breaking.