Bangladesh: Banning toxic ships
THE government is reportedly going to remove a condition from the recent Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) that made cleanliness certificates for import of scrap vessels mandatory. The SRO was issued to ensure that an old ship entering the territorial waters is free from toxic substances with a view to ensuring environmental and safety standards of the ship breaking yards. In view of environmental hazards and a large number of casualties, the Bangladesh High Court last year directed the government to ensure closure of all ship breaking yards that are operating without environmental clearance. According to reports, the government is under pressure from powerful quarters to withdraw the directive.
The ship breaking industry is the largest in the world. Nearly 200 outdated vessels are scrapped in Bangladesh annually. Huge quantities of toxic substances and oil spilled from these ships have seriously polluted the adjacent areas causing grave harm to planktons and other marine creatures. According to a report simultaneously released from Bangladesh, India and Switzerland in 2008, at least 1,000 workers died in the previous 20 years at the ship breaking yards in the country. If the SRO condition is withdrawn, not only environmental degradation and loss of lives will continue unabated but also a greater number of hazardous ships will enter the country.
Ship breaking industry that produces some 15 lakh tonnes of scrap iron a year is the main source of raw materials for over 250 re-rolling mills in the country. But the international rackets dump toxic cargo in old ships sold for scrapping without telling the buyers at the ship-breaking yards. Instead of withdrawing or relaxing the said conditionalities, the SRO should rather be strengthened by seting more restrictions against the import of hazardous ships.
Source:The Nation