The spotlight has been on Alang since December last year when the French aircraft carrier Le Clemenceau was headed for dismantling. After reports of large quantities of asbestos and PCBs, the ship was recalled by the French government.

A few months later, another large commercial ocean liner Blue Lady has been sold to an Alang ship breaker and the dismantling work has just begun.

7-step clean-up

The report recommends:

• Procedure for assesment of hazardous waste and its verification before the ship beaches.

• Detailed guidelines for anchoring, beaching and breaking.

• Mandatory dismantling and recycling facility managment plan for all ships.

• Landfills for dealing with waste like oil or PCBs.

• Monitoring of air, sea and sediment quality

• An industry review committee to monitor progress

• Range of measures for workers’ welfare