| Alang | |
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| Coordinates | 21°24′43″N 72°12′10″E / 21.412082°N 72.202749°ECoordinates: 21°24′43″N 72°12′10″E / 21.412082°N 72.202749°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District(s) | Bhavnagar |
| Population | 18,464 (2001[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alang&action=edit [update]]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. In the past three decades, its beaches have become a major worldwide centre for ship breaking.
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The shipyards at Alang recycle approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world. The yards are located on the Gulf of Khambat, 50 kilometres southeast of Bhavnagar. Environmentalists note that before shipbreaking began there in June 1983 the beach at Alang was pristine and unspoiled. However, locals say that the work provides a reasonably paid job by local standards, with a steady income used to support their families.
Large supertankers, car ferries, container ships, and a dwindling number of ocean liners are beached during high tide, and as the tide recedes, hundreds of manual laborers dismantle each ship, salvaging what they can and reducing the rest into scrap. Tens of thousands of jobs are supported by this activity and millions of tons of steel are recovered.
The salvage yards at Alang have generated controversy about working conditions, workers' living conditions, and the impact on the environment. One major problem is that despite many serious work-related injuries, the nearest full service hospital is 50 kilometres away in Bhavnagar. Alang itself is served by a small Red Cross hospital that offers only limited services.
Alang became the center of an international controversy when the Supreme Court of India temporarily prohibited the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau from entering the port in January 2006.[1]
Japan and the Gujarat government have joined hands to upgrade the existing Alang shipyard. The two parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which focuses on technology transfer and financial assistance from Japan to assist in the upgrading of operations at Alang to meet international standards. This is a part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a larger partnership between the Japanese and Gujarati governments. Under this plan, Japan will address the environmental implications of ship breaking in Alang, as well as devising a marketing strategy. The project is to be carried out as a public-private partnership. The project's aim is to make this shipyard the largest International Maritime Organization-compliant ship recycling yard in the world.
As of the 2001 Indian census,[2] Alang had a population of 18,464. Males constitute 82% of the population and females 18%. Alang has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 89% of the males and 11% of females literate. 7% of the population is under 6 years of age.