Ship Recycling Yard Alang is one of the largest Ship Breaking Yard, accounting for more than 90% of the ships dismantled in India. Ship breaking is the process of dismantling an obsolete vessel's structure for scrapping at a beach, pier, or dry dock.

It includes a wide range of activities viz from safely removing all 'residual fuel oils, lubricants and other

pollutant materials, gears and equipments, cutting down and recycling the ship's infrastructure. It is a

challenging process, owing to many concerns of environment protection, safety and health.

Alang has seen a major changeover as far as environmental protection and safety standards are concerned. The concept of "Green Ship Recycling" focusing on the safety of workers has come into existence on implementation of directions by the Hon. Supreme Court of India based on guidelines in line with IMO convention.

The representatives of Customs, GMB, GPCB, AERB and Explosives Department go on board the vessel for inspection before granting beaching permission to any vessel.

Ship Recycling Activities involve both Economy and Ecology in equal proportion. If the Economic part of the ship recycling activity is not taken care of, the existence of Ecology is endangered. In the same way, if Ecology is not protected, the purpose of this Green Ship Recycling is not solved. Thus, it is very important to understand the inter connectivity aspects involved in the Ship Recycling activity. With the growth of Ship Recycling activities, the awareness towards maritime environment has increased and the concept of Green Ship Recycling took the main stand. Green ship recycling has become an important issue in the maritime industry, especially following the adoption of the Hong Kong Convention. The Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and to the environment. There are several reasons that have made the concept of green ship recycling famous, such as:

• To isolate those parts of the ship which are harmful and dangerous to both marine and human lives

• To conserve marine ecosystem by proper discarding ship breaking wastes

• Recycling those parts of the ship that are important and can be recycled successfully for other purposes

Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) is one of the oldest and largest Association working for the welfare of owners and workers of Ship Recycling Yard. The Association not only safeguards the interest of Ship Recycling Activity, it also promotes "Green Ship Recycling". May be in the current scenario of ship recycling boom, many more associations may creep in boasting of green recycling, but on ground realities, Ship Recycling Industry Association (India) honors its commitment of green recycling of each and every yard at Alang.

The Hong Kong Convention intends to address all the issues around ship recycling, including the fact that ships sold for scrapping may contain environmentally hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, ozone depleting substances and others. It also addresses concerns raised about the working and environmental conditions at many of the world's ship recycling locations. A ship contains hazardous and no-hazardous substances, which cannot be totally reused or recycled, hence need to be disposed off in a proper manner to serve the purpose of Green Ship Recycling.

Focusing on the protection to environment the following parameters are observed in true letter and spirit:

Hazardous Wastes Management at Alang

Safe handling of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM):

Asbestos is the name of group highly fibrous mineral with separable, long and thin fibres. Separated Asbestos fibres are strong and flexible enough to be spun and woven. Asbestos fibres are heat resistant, making them useful for many industrial purposes. Because of their durability, asbestos fibres that get into lung tissue will remain over a long period of time. It was first used in Finland about 2500 B.C to strengthen clay pots. In classical times, the indestructible shrouds in which the ashes of the eminent preserved were woven from Asbestos. The word “Asbestos” comes from the Greek meaning “Inextinguishable” or “Indestructible”. Its use for lamp-wicks has continued through the ages up to the present day.

Asbestos is mainly used in engine room as insulation on pipelines. The quantity of asbestos content in majority of vessel is very negligible, ranging between 0.05 to 0.10% of the total LDT of the vessel.

Handling and Storage of Asbestos are carried out as per the Honorable Supreme Court Guidelines and the work therefore is entrusted to Industrial Hygiene Service (IHS).

IHS identifies Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) location as per the quantified details given by the plot owners, which is as per instruction given by Govt. officials. The work methodology for removal of ACM carried out by IHS Team is as follows:

Step - 1 : ACM Survey, labelling and barrication

Step - 2 : Issuance of PPE Consumable kits to the plot

Step - 3 : Installation of on board enclosure and mobilization of team, tools and tackles

Step - 4 : Removal of pipes on board and transfer to plot by wrapping it for exposed ACM, if any

Step - 5 : Scrapping, removal and packing of ACM on board for the pipes (only which cannot be transferred to the plots due to their size)

Step - 6 : Scrapping, removal and packing of ACM on plot in their plot owners enclosure or in ACM Mobile

Enclosure (designed and maintained by IHS)

Step - 7 : Handling over of ACM free worksite

Release of Co2

Step - 1 : CO2 room Survey, Pressure check, Leak check

Step - 2 : Issuance of PPE Consumable to the handlers

Step - 3 : Mobilization of team, tools and tackles

Step - 4 : High Pressure CO2 Degasification work

Step - 5 : Handling over of Degasified CO2 cylinders in CO2 Room

Removal of radio-active chips

The work methodology for Radioactive chip/Smoke detector removal carried out by IHS Team is as follows:

Step-1 : Radioactive chips/ Smoke detector Survey, labelling and barrication

Step-2 : Issuance of PPE Consumable to the plot

Step-3 : Mobilization of team, tools and tackles

Step-4 : Removal of Radioactive chips/ Smoke detector on board and transfer to plot by wrapping to avoid any exposure

Step-5 : Handling over of Radioactivity free worksite