NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 4
The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 was passed by voice vote with Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya asserting that the proposed law will help the ship recycling industry
A bill which seeks to regulate recycling of ships according to international standards was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 was passed by voice vote with Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya asserting that the proposed law will help the ship recycling industry and generate more jobs.
While most of the amendments moved by opposition members were withdrawn, some which were tabled were defeated.
Mandaviya said protection of environment and safety of workers are the soul of the bill.
Bill’s salient features
- Restrictions on the use of hazardous materials will not apply to warships and non-commercial vessels operated by the government. The certificate will be issued to them only after checking the use of materials in the ships.
• The Bill provides that the factories for ship recycling should be authorized and the recycling of vessels should be done only at these places.
• Ships recycling in India will be required to obtain a ‘Ready for Recycling Certificate’ as per the Hong Kong International Convention.
• Once the Hong Kong International Convention comes into effect, its arrangements will be incorporated into the Recycling of Ship Bill 2019.
India leads the world in the ship recycling industry. India has a 30 per cent share in the global ship recycling market. According to the United Nations Report on Maritime Transport 2018, a total of 6,323 tonnes of debris were found in 2017 while dismantling the ships in India. The recycling industry of ships is a labour-based industry but it is quite sensitive in terms of environmental protection.
Hong Kong International Convention
The Hong Kong Convention was adopted in 2009 for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling. This convention was adopted by 63 countries and supervised by IMO – International Maritime Organisation. The objective of this convention was to provide a safe and environment-friendly method for shipbreaking practices. It was found that due to the lack of correct safety equipment, a large amount of hazardous material damages the environment and public health.
