NEWS

Hindustan Times, Jalandhar, Feb 2017: Beaches don’t figure in our imagination of rich ecosystems. Yet, they are teeming with life, as are the oceans. From housing shore birds, to being home for many small animals, the only place where turtles nest, beaches are a unique and fragile ecosystem. That’s why expanding the notoriously toxic Alang Ship Breaking Yard (Gujarat) has to be stopped. The approved plan, now in court, will increase Alang’s capacity from 400 ships to 600 ships a year, by the beaching method. Basically, this means that the ships will be broken down on the beach, spewing toxics, waste, oils and other materials that will also end up in the oceans. This pollution is irreversible. Some people prefer the dry dock method, because the contamination can be controlled in an enclosed space. I wonder, though, if this will have any impact on the terrible lives of the workers, who suffer severe injuries and even death in some cases.

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