Today apparently 50 per cent of the world's ship recycling is done in Alang GUJRAT by a work force of some 35,000.
Many of them earn a meager Rs 100 a day.
The white and blue asbestos found in the skeletons of these ships is one of the most toxic chemicals in the world. Prolonged exposure to asbestos guarantees a date with lung cancer a few years down the line.
These end-of-life ships, most of them built before laws regulated what a ship could be built from, may also contain PCB, lead and explosive materials. These materials damage the environment, the health of ship-breaking crews and cause serious accidents and explosives.
It is estimated that 300 people die each year in Alang.
Long separation from the family, pathetic working conditions in ship-breaking and recycling yards and comparatively good money are prompting the large population of migrant workers in Alang, Gujarat, to go to sex workers and thereby increase the risk of contracting HIV infection.
