Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination (Topic: National Authority of Ship Recycling)

Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination


Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination


Topic: National Authority of Ship Recycling

National Authority of Ship Recycling

Why in News?

  • Central Government has notified the Directorate General of Shipping as national authority for recycling of ships under the section 3 of the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019.
  • As an apex body, DG Shipping is authorized to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling.

DG Shipping - Functions

  • DG Shipping is authorized to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling in the country.
  • DG Shipping will be the final authority for the various approvals required by the shiprecycling yard owners and state governments.
  • DG Shipping will oversee the sustainable development of the ship recycling industry, monitoring the compliance to environment-friendly norms and safety and health measures for the stakeholders.
  • Last year, the Parliament had passed The Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 which talked about setting up of a national authority that will monitor all activities related to ship recycling.

Area of Operation

  • The national authority of ship recycling will be set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
  • The location of the office will benefit the ship recycling yard owners situated in Alang, Gujarat.
  • The industry being largely concentrated in South Asia, India remains the leading market for ship-wrecking globally, with the Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard in Gujarat handling around 450 ships every year.

The Hong Kong Convention

  • The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention) in 2009, which is aimed at ensuring that ships being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and to the environment.
  • Under Ship Recycling Act, 2019, India has acceded to Hong Kong Convention for Ship Recycling under International Maritime Organization (IMO).
  • DG Shipping is a representative of India in the IMO and all the conventions of IMO are being enforced by DG Shipping.
  • The existing Shipbreaking Code (Revised), 2013 and the provisions of the Hong Kong Convention, 2009 are dovetailed in recycling legislation to ensure environment-friendly recycling process of ships and adequate safety of the yard workers.
  • With the enactment of the legislation, India has set global standards for safe and sound environment-friendly recycling of ships, as well as ensure adequate safety of the yard workers.

Economic Gains

  • India is looking to double its contribution from ship recycling to the country’s GDP to over USD 2 billion post enactment of the ship recycling Act in December 2019. It also aims to take direct jobs from recycling sector to about 90,000.
  • Currently, India recycles 70 lakh gross tonnages of ships per annum, while Bangladesh’s contribution is 68 lakh gross tonnage. Pakistan scraps ships worth 37 lakh gross tonnage, while China accounts for 34 lakh gross tonnage of recycling.
  • These four countries account for 90 per cent of the ships recycled globally. Post enactment of Recycle Act, India eyes 50 per cent of the global share as many countries will be sending ships here after India ratified the global convention.