The Directorate General of shipping has been notified as the National authority for recycling of ships by the Central Government, which is a move closer to aligning India with an international convention for safe recycling of ships. The DG Shipping is authorized to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling in the country. The notification was issued under the section 3 of the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019.
DG Shipping will look after the sustainable development of the Ship Recycling industry, monitoring the compliance to environment-friendly norms and safety and health measures for the stakeholders working in the ship recycling industry. DG Shipping will be the final authority for the various approvals required by the Ship-Recycling yard owners and State Governments.
Under Ship Recycling Act, 2019, India has acceded to Hong Kong Convention for Ship Recycling under International Maritime Organization (IMO). IMO adopted the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in 2009. The guidelines are aimed at ensuring that ships, being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and the environment.
National Authority of Ship Recycling will be set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The location of the office will benefit the Ship Recycling yard owners situated in Alang, Gujarat which is home of Asia’s largest ship breaking and ship recycling industry in the world.
