The Ministry of Industry in Bangladesh has formulated guidelines to reclassify the country’s shipbreaking industry to the less hazardous “Orange B” category, following its classification as “Red” earlier this year. The move is aimed at ensuring environmental protection and maintaining investment in the industry. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has been requested to take steps to secure the new environmental status for the Chattogram shipyards.
Shipbreaking industry experts said that the red classification had negatively impacted the industry. They pointed out that clearance approval delays and other complications persisted even after scrap ships had been imported and brought to the shipyard. Despite the situation, imports increased slightly in the first four months of 2021 compared to the last six months of 2020.
Chattogram’s shipbreaking industry was first classified under Orange-B status in 1997, moved to Red in 2007 and then back to Orange-B in 2020 before being recently categorised as red again. Following the enactment of the new guidelines, DoE Chattogram Region’s Associate Director says they will “act accordingly”.
Tags: Bangladesh.,ship demolition,ship recycling
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