Record 107 ships dismantled at Gaddani

[Kompromat]

Record 107 ships dismantled at Gaddani
By Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana
Tuesday, 29 Jun, 2010

KARACHI: The ship-breaking yard at Gaddani broke all previous records where 107 ships having a total light displacement tonnage (LDT) of 852,022 tons were beached for scrap during the current fiscal year.

Never in the past, such a large number of vessels were brought for dismantling at the yard and even last year when the ship-breaking activity hiked at record level only 86 ships with 778,598 LDT were turned into scrap.

Owing to brisk activity at the Gaddani ship-breaking Yard a large workforce is engaged in dismantling of ships ensuring smooth supply of scrap and steel plates to re-rolling mills mostly located in Karachi, and Punjab.

Additional Collector Customs at Gaddani Behan Ali Sher told Dawn that the number of ships could have gone up to 125 by the close of the current fiscal but Cyclone Phet early this month disturbed arrival schedule of many ships.

He said that due to increased breaking of a larger number of ships at the yard the national exchequer also bagged more revenue at Rs1,033.8 million (July to June 26, 2010) as against Rs666.4 million in the same period last year.

The major factor for reviving ship-breaking at Gaddani has been the liberal government policy with lesser taxes and duty on import of ships for scrap. Besides, slump in shipping industry resulted in grounding of more vessels by shipping lines and depressed prices also worked as impetus for the ship breakers.

Ali Sher said that at present all 132 plots of the yard are booked for breaking of ships. Though most of the plots belong to private parties but 30 are owned by the Balochistan Development Authority (BDA).

Though Gaddani presently stands third in term of volume after India and Bangladesh, but in terms of logistic support and performance it excels by far.

Better equipped with breaking facilities the Gaddani shipyard is more efficient than all regional countries’ yards. This could be verified from the fact that a ship with 5,000 LDT is broken within 30 to 45 days, whereas in India and Bangladesh it takes them more than six months for breaking this size of vessel, claimed the additional collector.

The ship-breaking creates diverse economic activity. If it engages around 200 to 300 workers of different categories on each ship around 200 trucks are deployed for delivery of scrap to different cities.

However, the role of BDA, which collects Rs28 per ton as a levy from ship breakers and receives rent of around Rs40,000 to 60,000 per annum on each of its owned plots, has failed to develop any facility at the site.

The ship-breaking has helped to contain smuggling of scrap, which used to come from Iran through Taftan and Afghanistan as most of the foundries and re-rolling mills in the Punjab used it as raw material.

Dewan Rizwan. chairman Pakistan Ship Breaking Association told Dawn that the cost of dismantling ships was increasing day by day and presently, labour engaged in this trade is highest paid.

Against this the price of steel declined to 55,000 per ton from Rs65,000 in the recent past. This results in a loss of around Rs7,000 to 8,000 per ton to the ship breakers.
DAWN.COM | Business | Record 107 ships dismantled at Gaddani

 

[Nahraf]

These old ships are toxic while the Pakistani workers break them with bare hands. Nobody in America and Europe would break these ahips without wearing protective gear. But Pakistani government allows it and poison its own people.

 

[sparklingway]

I visited Gadani in January and after years the industry was back up and working. It remained closed throughout '02-'07. Thankfully, it's up and running.

 

[SpArK]

These old ships are toxic while the Pakistani workers break them with bare hands. Nobody in America and Europe would break these ahips without wearing protective gear. But Pakistani government allows it and poison its own people.

You are absolutely spot on.. most of the worlds fleet gets end up in Pakistan/Indian/ Bangladeshi ship breaking yards for a simple reason. The developed nations are not ready to take up the risks.

The world famous ship breaking yards are Gaddani-Pakistan , Chittagong,Sitakunda Upazila- Bangladesh and Alang in India.. these toxins remain in the region and Ship bosses are happy with that. How Sad.

 

[Kompromat]

I visited Gadani in January and after years the industry was back up and working. It remained closed throughout '02-'07. Thankfully, it's up and running.

Its a great industry if we keep it up and running , Holland pioneered in this industry and it is financially viable and can create Massive amount of Jobs.

* I like your Avatar btw

 

[SpArK]

Asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical examples of substances that are banned or considered dangerous in developed countries. Asbestos was used heavily in ship construction until it was finally banned in most of the developed world in the mid 1980s.


Currently, the costs associated with removing asbestos, along with the potentially expensive insurance and health risks, have meant that ship-breaking in most developed countries is no longer economically viable. Removing the metal for scrap can potentially cost more than the value of the scrap metal itself.


In the developing world, however, shipyards can operate without the risk of personal injury lawsuits or workers' health claims, meaning many of these shipyards may operate with high health risks. Protective equipment is sometimes absent or inadequate. Dangerous vapors and fumes from burning materials can be inhaled, and dusty asbestos-laden areas are commonplace.


Aside from the health of the yard workers, in recent years, ship breaking has also become an issue of major environmental concern. Many ship breaking yards in developing nations have lax or no environmental law, enabling large quantities of highly toxic materials to escape into the environment and causing serious health problems among ship breakers, the local population and wildlife. Environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace have made the issue a high priority for their campaigns.

 

[mjnaushad]

I somewhere heard this ship breaking yard is the biggest in the world.. Is that true?

 

[SpArK]

I somewhere heard this ship breaking yard is the biggest in the world.. Is that true?

It was until 1980's

Gadani ship-breaking yard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

now its

Alang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Donatello]

Asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical examples of substances that are banned or considered dangerous in developed countries. Asbestos was used heavily in ship construction until it was finally banned in most of the developed world in the mid 1980s.


Currently, the costs associated with removing asbestos, along with the potentially expensive insurance and health risks, have meant that ship-breaking in most developed countries is no longer economically viable. Removing the metal for scrap can potentially cost more than the value of the scrap metal itself.


In the developing world, however, shipyards can operate without the risk of personal injury lawsuits or workers' health claims, meaning many of these shipyards may operate with high health risks. Protective equipment is sometimes absent or inadequate. Dangerous vapors and fumes from burning materials can be inhaled, and dusty asbestos-laden areas are commonplace.


Aside from the health of the yard workers, in recent years, ship breaking has also become an issue of major environmental concern. Many ship breaking yards in developing nations have lax or no environmental law, enabling large quantities of highly toxic materials to escape into the environment and causing serious health problems among ship breakers, the local population and wildlife. Environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace have made the issue a high priority for their campaigns.

You have good points there buddy.
But about Asbestos, well, they used it heavily in construction of buildings in North America. The engineering college i go to, had pile of it in the Engineering buildings. But it was not until last year in summer that they took most of the stuff out after EPA declared mandatory removal. It was dirty, expensive and destructive work. Buildings had to be rebuild in some places.
I live in Pennsylvania and there are still a lot of buildings that contain Asbestos in this state.



About the toxic exposure, keep in mind that these people would otherwise have no means to support their living. It just shows that people are desperate to earn money even if it risks their life.

Growing economies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have failed to help the safety standards in any of these countries. Just look at places other than ship breaking. Local Industries, Boilers, Roads, Apartments, every where we lack the safety protocols. Why do you think it's so cheap to find labor here in South Asia or China? because you can take the advantage of their weakness and exploit it. The workers have no choice but to earn, they have to experience a bitter, short life.

Shipbreaking is one thing. Read about the Apple-Foxconn plant news where workers commited suicides

 

[Hyde]

excellent news....... we need to revive this industry. It has potential to create thousands of Jobs in Gaddani shipyard and help improve country's economy.

Good going Pakistan - Good job Balochistan

 

[Luftwaffe]

Last year I open a thread on Pakistan Ship Breaking/Making Industry, nobody contributed..anyways.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/55519-gadani-ship-breaking-yard.html

I will also post what i wrote:
What used to be one of the most important Industry or Revenue Generating Engine of Pakistan is a small scrap Yard.
A Great loss for Pakistan South Korea has now become the world's biggest ship making and ship breaking industry along with China..Bangladesh and India are also lucrative center points, many nations now bring their ship for breaking.

The Gadani ship-breaking yard is a center for the breaking up of derelict ocean-going vessels for scrap. The yard is located in Gadani, Pakistan, about 50 kilometers northwest of Karachi.

In the 1980s,the Gadani yard was described as the largest ship-breaking yard in the world, with more than 30,000 direct employees. However, competition from newer facilities in India and Bangladesh resulted in a significant reduction in output, with the Gadani yard producing less than one fifth of the scrap it produced twenty years ago. A reduction in taxes on scrap metal led to a modest resurgence at the Yard, which now employs around 6,000 workers.

What have these governments in power done to our country's most profitable business/Industry how've it been stranded, Is there any revival of this industry. So many questions.
Members what do you say about it what can be done to revive it. To me only a $200 Million dollars can bring back the lost one back into business.

If Pakistan Govt develop low cost 2 bedroom homes for families of those working here permanently, Make other necessary arrangements for their families, hospital clinic, playground etc
and a brief site upgrade and develop for the ship breaking with new tools easily available can get from China. 200 million dollars is one hell of a investment.

About the electricity problem its not a big problem regrading this industry as the site is close to coastal sea i am sure there can be a a way to produce electricity on that site with some assistance from other nations.

 

[Dr.Evil]

For poor people is there is no other option but to work in these dismantling industires even if causes health and environmental problems.

They are worried about the food today rather than rather tomorrow, Can you blame them.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Why can't we take 1 of these big ships and put a airfield on it and fly our fighter planes off it ?

 

[Luftwaffe]

AZADPAKISTAN..lol wild idea ship will turnover.

The idea of AC is out of question but if someone of thinking of sort of Merchant Aircraft Carrier or Simplest form of AC; 24 knots-approx 27,000-30,000 tons..with many modifications of today's aircraft carriers...that is viable but still requires huge funds..
we are not short of concepts we're short of funds perhaps after 2030 if our economy is well enough..