Shipbreakers run out of oxygen as Covid treatment takes precedence
Alang’s shipbreakers have to down tools because of oxygen shortage in hard-hit Gujarat State.
The pandemic has hit Gujarat’s shipbreaking yards by depriving them of the the liquid oxygen they need to dismantle ships, reports Indian Express.
With Indian suffering a terrible second wave of Covid infections, the regional government has redirected all oxygen supplies to hospitals. Oxygen is used for cutting steel in oxyacetylene torches and without it all shipbreaking activity in Alang’s yards has come to a halt.
Speaking to Indian Express, Haresh Parmar, a shipbreaker at Alang and honorary joint secretary, Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA) said, “Not a single tonne of gas is coming to Alang. Everything has been diverted for medical use for the last couple of days. Ship-breaking at almost all the plots has stopped completely.”
“We will be clocking huge losses because of this shutdown at Alang. However, we feel this oxygen is needed in the hospitals. Our association feels that the oxygen should be given where it is most needed now. Business considerations cannot be bigger than saving lives,” said Pamar.
Alang uses about 70-100 tonnes of oxygen a day, and only those few shipbreakers who have oxygen stockpiles are still operating.
