Govt. approves proposal to enact legislation for recycling of ships

News: The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for enactment of Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 and accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.

Facts:

About Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019

Aim: To provide for the regulation of recycling of ships by setting certain international standards and lay down the statutory mechanism for enforcement of such standards.

Key features of the Bill:

• Restriction on Hazardous Material:

o   The bill restricts and prohibits the use or installation of hazardous material, which applies irrespective of whether a ship is meant for recycling or not.

o   For new ships, such restriction or prohibition on the use of hazardous material will be immediate, that is, from the date the legislation comes into force. Existing ships will have a period of five years for compliance.

o   Exception: Restriction or prohibition on the use of hazardous material would not be applied to warships and non-commercial ships operated by Government.

• Ship recycling facilities: Ship recycling facilities are required to be authorised and ships shall be recycled only in such authorized ship recycling facilities.
• Compliance with ship-specific recycling plan:

o   Ships shall be recycled in accordance with a ship-specific recycling plan.

o   Further, Ships to be recycled in India shall be required to obtain a ‘Ready for Recycling Certificate’.

About Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships:

• It was adopted at a diplomatic conference held in Hong Kong, China, in 2009.
• The Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and safety or to the environment.

Additional Information:

• India is the leader in the global ship recycling industry, with a share of over 30% of the market.
• As per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report on the Review of Maritime Transport, 2018, India had demolished 6323 tonnes in 2017, of known ship scrapping across the world.