Japan to Help Boost Indian Ship Recycling
Japan may help India in boosting the country's ship recycling industry. It is learnt that a 14-member Japanese delegation comprising representatives from government departments and shipping industry association, who visited Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yard in Bhavnagar (Gujarat, India) expressed its willingness to aid improving the facility there.
The Ship Recycling Yard at Alang located near Bhavnagar in Gujarat State on the western coast of Gulf of Cambay is claimed to be the largest ship recycling yard in the world, in terms of number of ships being dismantled.
The Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) of India on Tuesday agreed to the Japanese condition of adhering to the norms of Hong Kong Convention (HKC), 2009, on the ship recycling industry
Indian Express, a prominent newspaper in the country quoted Mitsuhiko Ida, deputy director for maritime bureau in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, saying that Japan can help India if India is ready to ratify the Hong Kong Convention. Japan can help ship recycling industry of India if India cooperates with the global efforts to put into force the Hong Kong Convention.
SRIA secretary Nitin Kanakiya said that the association has no problem in conforming to the HKC. Majority of norms laid down in the HKC are covered in Ship Recycling Code, 2013 of India. But, in return, SRIA expects technological help from Japan for decontamination of ships after they are beached.
Japan has a huge shipbuilding industry but due to environmental concerns, it sends its decommissioned ships to China. Given the change in diplomatic environment, this visit by the Japanese delegation is important to India.
Ship Recycling Industries Association India is an organization for Ship Recyclers in Alang/Sosiya, Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Alang is the world's largest ship demolition or ship breaking yard. Vessels that are no longer capable for plying are scraped/recycled/demolished at Alang
