Alang Shipbreaking Yards from Space

The following image shows the shipbreaking yards at Alang, an industrial complex north of Mumbai in the Gulf of Khambhat. Photo taken from space via Digital Globe.

A huge portion of the world’s merchant fleet finds itself beached at the end of its useful life at Alang, a workplace that also claims the lives of many of its workers as well. The following documentary gives a fascinating account of the business of shipbreaking.

In an editorial last year, Jacob Sterling, Head of Environment & Corporate Social Responsibility at Maersk Line makes the call for more responsible and environmentally-friendly ship recycling processes. “When ships are scrapped on beaches, I will argue that it is less likely that the materials are recycled to their full potential,” comments Sterling. “Taking ships to proper recycling yards like the ones in China will enable a far better recycling of the steel for use in building new ships and other constructions.”

Read more HERE.

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