Lok Sabha Question No. 4755 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Safety Concerns in Ship-breaking Yards
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Shri Karti P Chidambaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4755

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026

## SAFETY CONCERNS IN SHIP-BREAKING YARDS

4755.  SHRI KARTI P CHIDAMBARAM: SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

## Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) the total number of authorised ship recycling yards in the country, and the number of such  yards  that  have  been  issued  Statements  of  Compliance  under  the  Hong  Kong International Convention (HKC) for Ships recycling, State-wise; (b) the number of deaths, injuries, and occupational diseases reported among workers employed in ship recycling facilities during the last five years, State/UT-wise, year-wise and yard-wise; (c) whether compensation, insurance claims/ex gratia payments have been provided to affected workers or families of deceased workers and if so, the details thereof, including the amount provided and the number of beneficiaries; (d)  whether  the  Government  maintains  a  database  of  occupational  health  and  safety incidents in ship recycling facilities and if so, details thereof; and (e) the details of inspections conducted in ship recycling yards including the number of violations detected and action taken against non-compliant facilities during the last five
- years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL )

- (a)        At  present  115  ship  recycling  plots  out  of  150  plots  at  Alang-Sosiya  Ship Recycling Yard (ASSRY) in Gujarat have been issued Statements of Compliance (SoC) under Hong Kong International Convention (HKC) for safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.

Additionally,  the  ship-recycling  facilities  exist  at  one  location  each  in  Shyam Prasad  Mukherjee  West  Bengal  and  Kerela.  The  affiliation  for  the  Statements  of Compliance  (SoC)  under  Hong  Kong  International  Convention  (HKC)  for  the  ship recycling facility in Kerela is under process.

- (b)      A comprehensive regulatory and compliance framework has been put in place at the  Alang-Sosiya  Ship  Recycling  Yard  (ASSRY),  Gujarat,  which  is  the  largest  ship recycling yard in India where 98 percent of ship recycling is being carried out. The yearwise data pertaining to the Alang-Sosiyaship recycling yard, Gujarat is as below:

| Year                          |   Injury |   Death | Occupational Disease   |
|-------------------------------|----------|---------|------------------------|
| 2021-22                       |       11 |       3 | NIL                    |
| 2022-23                       |       17 |       6 | NIL                    |
| 2023-24                       |       12 |       1 | NIL                    |
| 2024-25                       |        7 |       1 | NIL                    |
| 2025-26 (till February, 2026) |        5 |       2 | NIL                    |

In  case  of  Ship  recycling  yards  in  West  Bengal  and  Kerala,  no  cases  are reported.

- (c) and (d) ln fatal cases, compensation of ₹ 5 lakh along with ₹ 25,000 as ex-gratia is paid  to  the  family  of  deceased  worker  by  the  plot  holder.  Additionally,  year  2025 onwards, compensation  of ₹ 5 lakh is also provided from the Ferrous Scrap Development  Fund  (FSDF)  through  Ship  Breaking  Scrap  Committee  (SBSC).  A  total compensation of ₹ 78.25 lakh has been provided to the families of deceased workers, in 13 death cases mentioned above.

The  plot  holder  is  required  to  report  any  such  occupational  health  and  safety incident  to  the  competent  authority  i.e.  the  respective  State  Maritime  Board  /  the department concerned of the State Government.

- (e)      Regular inspections of ship recycling plots at ASSRY, Gujarat are carried out by Gujarat  Maritime  Board  (GMB)  along  with  other  authorities  such  as  Gujarat  Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Directorate of industrial Safety and Health (DISH) to ensure compliance with the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019, the Recycling of Ships Rules, 2021 and  other  applicable  regulations.  Instances  of  non-compliance,  if  any,  are  addressed through issuance of directions for rectification, warnings and other enforcement actions, and  compliance  is  ensured  through  follow-up  inspections.  Similarly,  in  case  of  other facilities  in  Kerala  and  West  Bengal,  no  violations  are  reported  by  the  inspecting agencies / Government departments.
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