Mumbai: In a recent development, Union Cabinet approved the proposal for enacting Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 and accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009.
According to an official release, the proposed bill would prohibit and prohibit the use or installation of hazardous material, which applies regardless of whether a ship is for recycling or not.
For new vessels, such restriction or prohibition on the use of hazardous materials will be immediate, that is, from the day this law comes into force, while the existing vessels will have a period of five years to comply.
The ban or prohibition on the use of hazardous materials will not apply to government-operated warships and non-commercial vessels.
Ships will be surveyed and certified on the list of hazardous materials used in ships. Under the bill, ship recycling facilities are required to be authorized and ships will be recycled only at such authorized ship recycling facilities.
The Bill also provides that vessels will be recycled according to a ship-specific recycling scheme. Ships to be recycled in India must obtain a Ready for Recycling Certificate
India is a leader in the global ship recycling industry, with a market share of over 30 percent.
As per UNCTAD’s report on Maritime Transport, 2018 review, India in 2017 demolished 6323 tonnes of the world-renowned ship.
The ship-recycling industry is a labor-intensive sector, but it is susceptible to concerns on environmental safety, the release said.
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