Gujarat govt to restart ship-breaking yard at Sachana

After resolving issues of environmental clearances, the Gujarat government has decided to restart the state's second ship-breaking yard at Sachana. The yard in Sachana was shut in 2012 following a dispute on whether a portion of it falls under the marine national park or Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB).

Ahmedabad:The Gujarat government has decided to restart the state's second ship-breaking yard at Sachana in Jamnagar district after having resolved issues pertaining to its environmental clearances, an official said on Saturday.

As per a release issued by the state government, the ship-breaking yard in Sachana will be modelled on the one in Alang, which is the world's largest ship-breaking yard.

The yard in Sachana was shut in 2012 following a dispute on whether a portion of it falls under the marine national park or Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB).

The decision to restart the ship-breaking yard comes after a high-power committee appointed on the direction of the Gujarat High Court gave its recommendations, the release said.

Following hearings in the matter, the panel had decided that the disputed land was outside the marine national park, it was stated.

According to the release, the reopening of the yard will create jobs for at least 10,000 people living near the coastal town. The ship-breaking yard in Sachana had started operations in 1977 and was used to break small and medium-sized vessels.

The Gujarat high court had ordered the closure of all ship-breaking activities following the dispute between the marine national park and GMB and had directed that the yard should be restarted only after getting all necessary clearances.

PTI report