Alang

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Alang | type = city | latd = 21.412082 | longd = 72.202749
state_name = Gujarat
district = Bhavnagar
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population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 18,464| population_density =
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Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat, India. It is the leading centre of the worldwide ship breaking and recycling industry.

The shipyards at Alang recycle approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world.fact|date=November 2007 The yards are located on the Gulf of Khambat, 50 kilometres southeast of Bhavnagar. Visiting Westerners complain that before shipbreaking began there in June 1983 the beach at Alang was pristine and unspoiled.fact|date=November 2007 However, locals say that the work provides a reasonably paid job by local standards, with a steady income used to support their families.fact|date=November 2007

Large supertankers, car ferries and container ships are beached during high tide, and as the tide recedes, hundreds of manual laborers dismantle each ship, salvaging what they can and reducing the rest into scrap. Tens of thousands of jobs are supported by this activity and millions of tons of steel are recovered.fact|date=November 2007

The salvage yards at Alang have generated controversy about working conditions, workers' living conditions, and the impact on the environment. One major problem is that despite many serious work-related injuries, the nearest full service hospital is 50 kilometres away in Bhavnagar. Alang itself is served by a small Red Cross hospital that offers only limited services.

"Clemenceau" controversy

:"Main article: Clemenceau decommissioning controversy"Alang became the center of an international controversy when the Supreme Court of India temporarily prohibited the French aircraft carrier "Clemenceau" from entering the port in January 2006. [cite web|title=Stay out, India tells toxic ship|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4588922.stm|date=2006-01-06|accessdate=2007-11-24]

Demographics

As of the 2001 Indian census, [GR|India] Alang had a population of 18,464. Males constitute 82% of the population and females 18%. Alang has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 89% of the males and 11% of females literate. 7% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Alang in popular culture

*"Shipbreakers", a documentary on the industry in Alang, was produced by Michael Kot in 2004.
*"On the Road to Alang" [http://www.midshipcentury.com/videoalang1.shtml On The Road To Alang] ] , a documentary on passenger ships scrapped at Alang, was produced by Peter Knego [http://www.maritimematters.com/PK.html Peter Knego] ] in 2005.
*The shipyard described in the Iain Banks novel "The Business" was possibly modelled on a shipyard at Alang.fact|date=November 2007
*Alang is the site of a mass panic and chaos in the Max Brooks novel World War Z.
*The yard that breaks down crashed alien spacecraft in Warren Ellis' run on Astonishing X-Men is clearly based on Alang.

References

ee also

*List of Indian companies
*Ship-Submarine recycling program

External links

* [http://www.puregroup.in Ship Breakers from Alang India]
* [http://www.alangspares.com Ship Machinery and Spares by Ocean Power (India - Alang)]
* [http://www.gmbports.org/alang_alang.htm Information on Alang] from the Gujarat Maritime Board
* [http://www.greenpeaceindia.org/alang.php Article about Alang] and [http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/ ship-breaking in general] by Greenpeace
* [http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/news119.asp Green Peace: Shipbreaking]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4700160.stm BBC: Asbestos test for 'graveyard of ships']
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4796221.stm BBC: 'Toxic ship' docks in Indian port]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cXS-I8VX4k Alang Ship Recycling Street] , video 6:18 min, Marco Casagrande & Nikita Wu, 2006