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Dismantling of old scrap ships is posing a serious threat to the environment and the lives of workers engaged in cutting ships at Sitakunda coastal area in Chattogram.
Sources said the ship-breaking industry has been causing environmental pollution since 1971, posing a serious threat to public health.
The ship-breaking industry has around 40,000 workers who use old equipment to scrap ships, risking their lives, they added.
Four types of old vessels are scrapped at ship-breaking yards in Sitakunda. The vessels are turbine tanker (TT), motor vessel (MV), steam vessel (SV) and fishing trawler (FT). Of them, scrapping of turbine tanker is most dangerous.
Sources said the workers used to cut ships without taking any precautionary measures. They have no life jackets, masks, hand gloves, sunglasses and safety shoes. Even they don't follow any scientific method for cutting scrap ships.
The workers cannot file any case after accidents at ship-breaking yards. Influential yard owners used to control the police station and other offices concerned for concealing the death of any worker or any accident, workers alleged.
They also claimed that as there is no hospital here, the death toll rises after accidents. They further alleged that they are suffering from various diseases and food crisis.
According to a survey conducted by YPSA, a non- governmental organisation, at least 600 workers were killed and 1000 others maimed in fatal accidents in last 15 years. Besides, thousands of workers and local people became ill due to poisonous gas emitted from scrap ships.
The workers of more than 80 ship-breaking yards are at high risk of accidents particularly explosion of gas cylinders and oil tankers. They also get injured after being hit by scrapped steel plates.
Mohammed Ali Shaheen, focal person of YPSA, said they demanded formulation of a policy on ship-breaking.
"We also put forward some recommendations including detection of sites for ship-breaking, and deployment of fire fighters at ship-breaking yards."
He added: "Safety and rights of the workers are needed to be ensured at the ship-breaking industry and the task of ship-breaking should be executed strictly in conformity with environmental needs."
As the task of ship-breaking is not executed in conformity with environmentally-accepted atmosphere, marine-pollution is taking place and biodiversity in the sea is on the verge of destruction.
Mr Shaheen said permanent and strict management of the ship-breaking industry cannot be made possible as the existing labour and environmental act and international charter have yet not been implemented.
He also stressed the need for formulating the guidelines on the ship-breaking industry.
It may be mentioned that the number of accidents at ship-breaking yards is increasing due to negligence of yard owners in providing safety equipment to their workers.
A worker was killed and five others were injured in an explosion at a ship-breaking yard in Barwalia area under Sitakunda upazila on Wednesday.
There are around 87 ship-breaking yards at Sitakunda in Chattogram which produce thousands of tonnes of scrap iron used by re-rolling mills.