GUWAHATI, SEP 12: An International Conference on Green Ship Recycling and Vehicle Scrapping was organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar today. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Gujarat Maritime Board in coordination with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
The conference was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, in august presence of Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, here today.
In his address, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said that Gujarat is the business gateway of India and one of the world’s preferred maritime destinations.
“With a coastline of 1,600 km, Gujarat handles over 40% of India’s cargo throughput and contributes 18% of the total cargo transported using coastal shipping. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji, India has been doing impressively in the port sector, and by virtue of its strategic location, proactive policies, and robust infrastructure, Gujarat has emerged as the flag bearer of India’s maritime success story. Modiji’s vision & focussed approach has led India to become a prime destination for ship recycling. The planned doubling of capacity of Alang-Sosiya shipyard in Gujarat will create a huge employment opportunity and economic prosperity in Gujarat and the country,” the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi, Gujarat is now moving towards port-led development. Gujarat is India’s coastal gateway. The state is home to Alang, the largest ship-breaking yard in the world. Just as Gujarat has been dominant in ship breaking-recycling sector, it will also be in green recycling. Gujarat has the potential and the political will to become a hub for green ship recycling. The Gujarat government is committed to making Gujarat a global centre for green recycling. Alang also has a well-developed ecosystem and capacity for vehicle scrapping and will contribute majorly to the vehicle scrapping policy,” Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel said.
Taking about the Sagarmala Programme, he said it has given impetus to the thriving maritime sector in Gujarat with projects such as port modernisation, rail, road, cruise tourism, RO-RO & passenger jetties, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, skill development, etc.
“There are 74 projects worth Rs. 57,000 crore under Sagarmala Programme in Gujarat, of which 15 projects worth Rs. 9,000 crore have been completed, 33 projects worth over Rs. 25,000 crore are under implementation and 26 projects worth Rs. 22,700 crore are under development,” added Sonowal. The International Conference on Green Ship Recycling and Vehicle Scrapping is showcasing the current status of ship recycling industry in Gujarat and the adoption of HKC Convention compliances.
The conference is also facilitating discussion on how the EU shipping industry can take advantage of ship recycling facilities in Gujarat, and explore partnerships with EU member countries. Two sessions were also organised as a part of the conference. The first session on “Ship Recycling Industry in India and Compliances” focused on the Ship Recycling Act, the role of GMB, compliance with HKC and EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR), and safe and sustainable recycling. The second session was on Vehicle Scrap Policy and saw an overview of the policy.