Tide turns in favour of Alang

Political unrest in Bangladesh has boosted the ailing Alang shipbreaking yards of India.
Since late last year, a number of ships destined for breaking in Bangladesh have been diverted to Alang, providing the area with a much-needed fillip. A total of 10 ships arrived in November, 13 in December and a further 24 in January – the highest monthly tally in two years. In the five months to October last year, a mere 32 ships had arrived at Alang.
According to the Alang port authorities, this spurt in business signals a positive change for the industry, ancillary units and thousands of workers. The positive trend is likely to continue in the coming months, it adds.
Leading shipbreaker Hareshsinh Parmar, who operates two yards in Alang, suggests many international agents now prefer India to Bangladesh as a destination for obsolete ships. ’As the political environment is not conducive in Bangladesh, traffic gets diverted to Alang,’ he explains. While Alang is receiving small and medium-sized tankers from the Gulf countries, India’€™s shipbreakers acknowledge that Bangladesh remains the preferred option for larger tankers in the capacity range of 5000 to 15 000 tonnes, adds Mr Parmar.
According to another leading Indian shipbreaker Pravin Nagarsheth, the domestic ship recycling industry will never match its past performance unless and until the government and shipbreakers take decisive action. ‘€˜Still many issues need to be addressed to make Alang the preferred destination once again,’€™ he comments.