Ship Graveyard in Chittagong. Ship Graveyard: The Last Landing of the Giants Bangladesh Seaports Chittagong Stevedoring

22.10.202027.05.2017

Most ships and ships have a certain service life, which is calculated in tens of years before the time until you have to regularly change equipment, and this makes repairs unprofitable over time.

In this case, the so-called disposal of ships occurs. Reference: “Disposal of ships is the process of dismantling the ship's equipment, processing waste or placing it in a safe place for long-term storage. The recycling process is subject to high safety requirements from the point of view of harming the environment. Recycling allows materials from a ship to be reused, especially steel. The equipment on board the vessel can also be reused. The largest ship recycling sites are Gadani (Pakistan), Alang (India), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Aliaga (Turkey).”

Supertankers and giant cargo ships are the backbone of our global consumer society. Hundreds of meters in length, carrying millions of tons of cargo around the world inspire confidence. The construction of one such giant is almost a feat in the world of technology. However, the life and final resting place of these steel giants is even more intriguing. Even when large ships are no longer seaworthy, and repairs are not economically viable, the material from which they are built still matters. Currently, shipbreaking yards tend to be located in third world countries, places far from the view of people who love supermarkets, where cheap labor and environmental laws are practically non-existent. It is at such shipyards that large ships end their days, disassembled bit by bit by hand, and completely deprived of the possibility of restoration.

20 km northwest of the city of Chittagong (Bangladesh) in the town of Fauzdarhat, the coast is dotted with ships doomed to death. More than twenty shipyards are located here, occupying a 16-mile coastal zone. This place can be called an industrial wasteland of epic differences, where thousands of workers are forced to subscribe to a miserable existence among the hulking ruins of iron, working without basic protection, risking injury or poisoning from toxic fumes from exposure to asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Chittagong is just one of many such places on the planet. International organizations companies such as GREENPEACE are already trying to communicate to the public about the impending threat to the ecosystem and human health, especially shipbreaking yard workers. Of course, there is still some hope that public pressure will lead major shipping companies to more widely implement the so-called "green fleet" in developed countries.

shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh

Scrapping in Bangladesh began in 1960, when in the Bay of Bengal, after a powerful cyclone, a hurricane left a giant cargo ship stranded off the coast of Chittagong. The shipowners abandoned it, and the locals began to slowly dismantle the ship, cutting out the metal and removing the equipment. This incident is considered the beginning of the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, which gradually expanded and by the mid 80s Bangladesh had become one of the major shipbreaking nations in the world. Some of the world's largest decommissioned ships are today scratching the vast shore north of Chittagong, which is the country's second largest city and major seaport.

Environmental policy and laws do not work here, but wages one of the lowest in the world. This is what forced enterprising residents to engage in such a business. Shipbreaking beaches, which were already banned in most countries at that time, could be organized in Bangladesh without any problems. Poverty and millions of uneducated people were looking for a livelihood. They then became a cheap labor force necessary for the ship-breaking industry. No serious investments are required to organize the dismantling of ships. All you need is a big winch, some blowtorches, and maybe a bulldozer. Labor in this industry is extremely cheap, and environmental and labor standards can be ignored. That is why ship scrapping in Bangladesh is quite a profitable business with minimal risk for shipowners and investors. The shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh is valued at around $1.5 billion annually.

Around the world, about 700 ocean-going ships are scrapped every year and more than 100 of them go to the ship graveyard in Bangladesh. Some of the "local" ships reach the size of 350 meters. It is believed that 30 percent of the world's displacement was written off in Bangladesh between 2000 and 2010. Since then, the shipbreaking business has seen a slight decline due to the global economic downturn and stricter enforcement of national laws and regulations. However, now it is gaining momentum again and the number of shipbreaking yards is growing every year. According to experts, 30 to 50 thousand people are employed in this industry in Bangladesh. In addition, another 100,000 are indirectly involved in business. Most workers are hired at shipyards through local contractors. A worker earns about 1-3 dollars a day, depending on the type of work. As a rule, 300-500 people take part in the dismantling of the ship, and the removed material has great value for the local economy. In particular, recycled steel is used in construction, and cooking stoves can then be installed on new ships. Thanks to the ship graveyard, about 70-80 percent of the steel used in Bangladesh comes from the shipbreaking yards in Chittagong. One of the most valuable parts of a ship or vessel is the propeller, which costs between $50,000 and $100,000. Screws and other high quality parts are exported to other countries. The most worthy items taken from emergency ships are also exported to countries in Europe and Asia. In the ship graveyard you can find everything from huge generators, refrigerators, industrial mixers, kitchen sinks and sofas, cutlery and spice kits, and even unused toilet paper.

However, the work of dismantling ships is very dangerous. It includes many risks associated with human health. Workers are often exposed to asbestos used for insulation in old ships and ship paint containing lead, cadmium and arsenic. Each ship contains an average of 7,000-8,000 kg of asbestos and 10 to 100 tons of lead paint. Often there are deaths caused by gas poisoning, explosions and fires. Sometimes workers fall off the high boards they are working on without safety nets. In gas welding, many work without protective masks, without even shoes, not to mention clothing. Local organizations in Bangladesh have estimated that over the past 30 years, about 2,000 people have died and more seriously injured while working in the ship graveyard. General health statistics show that the percentage of people with handicapped in the Chittagong area above the national average as a whole. Many of the workers have lost limbs or received other disabilities while working at shipbreaking yards.

The only method the workers use to check the hazard level in certain parts of the ship for the presence of dangerous gases is chickens. The surviving bird notifies that workers can begin work in these rooms, where oil products or other flammable substances were once located.

The ship graveyard workers are poor and simply have no other alternative to support themselves and their families. They are forced to work at a shipbreaking yard in order to somehow feed their family. They have little knowledge of the rules and regulations of major occupational health and safety standards. The Bangladeshi government recently introduced a new national program to improve environmental and occupational health and safety standards at shipbreaking facilities, but it has a long road ahead of bureaucracy. Politicians and decision makers are more selfish in their own interests. Moreover, corruption in Bangladesh is also widespread, making it difficult to enforce rules and regulations.

AT last years, the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh is declining due to the global economic downturn and the introduction of tough new national policies. Some experts believe that the International Convention on Ship Recycling, adopted by the International maritime organization(IMO) in January 2010, on the contrary, perpetuates dangerous ship breaking beaches in the world's poorest countries, and prevents the transition to safer and more environmentally friendly forms of ship recycling.

Like everything made by human hands: vehicles from cars and trucks to planes and locomotives, ships have a life span and when that time runs out, they are scrapped. Such large bulks, of course, contain a lot of metal, and it is extremely cost-effective to gut them and process the metal. Welcome to Chittagong, one of the largest shipbreaking centers in the world. Up to 200 thousand people worked here at the same time. Human.

Chittagong accounts for half of all steel produced in Bangladesh.

After the Second World War, shipbuilding began to experience an unprecedented rise, a huge number of metal ships were built around the world and more and more in developing countries. However, soon the question arose of the disposal of their spent ships. It turned out to be more economical and profitable to disassemble old ships for scrap in poor developing countries, where tens of thousands of low-paid workers dismantled old ships several times cheaper than in Europe.

In addition, factors such as strict health protection requirements and environment, expensive insurance. All this made the scrapping of ships in developed European countries disadvantageous. Here, such activities are limited mainly to the disposal of military ships.

The history of the development of the ship recycling center in Chittagong dates back to 1960, when the Greek ship MD-Alpine was thrown onto the sandy coast of Chittagong after a storm. Five years later, after several unsuccessful attempts to re-float the MD Alpine, it was decommissioned. Then the locals began to dismantle it for scrap.

By the mid-1990s, a large-scale shipbreaking center had developed in Chittagong. This was also due to the fact that in Bangladesh, when dismantling ships, the cost of scrap metal is higher than in any other country.

However, the working conditions at the dismantling of ships were terrible. Here, one worker was killed every week due to labor safety violations. Child labor was mercilessly used.

Eventually, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh imposed minimum safety standards and also banned all activities that do not meet these conditions.

As a result, the number of jobs decreased, the cost of work increased, and the boom in shipbreaking in Chittagong began to decline.

In Bangladesh, Chittagong disposes of about 50% of the world's ships decommissioned for scrap. 3-5 ships come here every week. About 80,000 people disassemble the ships themselves, and another 300,000 work in related industries. The daily salary of workers is 1.5-3 dollars (while the working week is 6 days for 12-14 hours), and Chittagong itself is considered one of the dirtiest places in the world.

Decommissioned ships began to come here in 1969. To our time, 180-250 ships are dismantled in Chittagong annually. The coastline, where ships find their last refuge, stretches for 20 kilometers.

Their utilization takes place in the most primitive way - with the help of autogenous and manual labor. Of the 80 thousand local workers, about 10 thousand are children from 10 to 14 years old. They are the lowest paid workers, earning an average of $1.5 a day.

Every year, about 50 people die on the dismantling of ships, and about 300-400 more become crippled.

80% of this business is controlled by American, German and Scandinavian companies - scrap metal is then shipped to these countries. In monetary terms, the dismantling of ships in Chittagong is estimated at 1-1.2 billion dollars a year, in Bangladesh, in the form of salaries, taxes and bribes to local officials, this amount remains 250-300 million dollars.

Chittagong is one of the dirtiest places in the world. During the dismantling of ships, engine oils are poured directly onto the shore, and lead waste remains there - for example, the MPC for lead is exceeded here by 320 times, the MPC for asbestos - 120 times.

The shacks in which the workers and their families live stretch 8-10 km inland. The area of this "city" is about 120 square kilometers, and up to 1.5 million people live in it.

The port city of Chittagong lies 264 km southeast of Dhaka, about 19 km from the mouth of the Karnaphuli River.

This is the second largest locality Bangladesh and its most famous tourist center. The reason for this is the favorable location of the city between the sea and the mountainous regions, a good sea coast with an abundance of islands and shoals, a large number of ancient monasteries of several cultures at once, as well as many original hill tribes inhabiting the areas of the famous hills of Chittagong. And the city itself in its history (and it was founded approximately at the turn of new era) has experienced many interesting and dramatic events, therefore it is famous for its characteristic mixture of architectural styles and different cultures.

The main decoration of Chittagong is the old district of Sadarghat lying along the northern bank of the river. Born along with the city itself somewhere at the turn of the millennium, since ancient times it has been inhabited by wealthy merchants and ship captains, therefore, with the advent of the Portuguese, who for almost four centuries controlled all trade on the western coast of the Malacca Peninsula, the Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta grew up here, built up rich for those times villas and mansions. By the way, this is one of the few districts in the country that has still preserved Christianity.

Here is what they write about the working conditions in this place:

“...Using only blowtorches, sledgehammers and wedges, they cut huge chunks skins. After these fragments break in water like broken pieces of a glacier, they are dragged ashore and cut into small pieces weighing hundreds of pounds. They are carried onto trucks by teams of workers singing rhythmic songs, as carrying the very heavy, thick steel plates requires perfect coordination. The metal will be sold at a huge profit to the owners who live in luxurious mansions in the city.

The cutting of the ship continues from 7:00 to 23:00 by one team of workers with two half-hour breaks, and an hour for breakfast (they have dinner after they return home at 23:00). Total - 14 hours a day, 6-1 / 2 day work week (half day on Friday is free, according to the requirements of Islam). Workers are paid $1.25 a day"

And a short video about working conditions

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Like everything man-made: vehicles from cars and trucks to planes and locomotives, ships have a lifespan, and when that time runs out, they are scrapped. Such large bulks, of course, contain a lot of metal, and it is extremely cost-effective to gut them and process the metal. Welcome to Chittagong (Chittagong)- one of the largest shipbreaking centers in the world. Up to 200,000 people worked here at the same time.

Chittagong accounts for half of all steel produced in Bangladesh.

In addition, such factors as strict health and environmental protection requirements and expensive insurances played an important role. All this made the scrapping of ships in developed European countries unprofitable. Here, such activities are limited mainly to the disposal of military ships.
Photo 4.

Disposal of old ships in developed countries is currently extremely high also because of the high cost: the cost of disposing of toxic substances such as asbestos, PCBs and those containing lead and mercury is often higher than the cost of scrap metal.
Photo 5.

The history of the development of the ship recycling center in Chittagong dates back to 1960, when the Greek ship MD-Alpine was thrown onto the sandy coast of Chittagong after a storm. Five years later, after several failed attempts to refloat the MD Alpine, she was scrapped. Then the locals began to dismantle it for scrap.

However, the working conditions at the dismantling of ships were terrible. Here, one worker was killed every week due to labor safety violations. Child labor was mercilessly used.

Eventually, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh imposed minimum safety standards and also banned all activities that do not meet these conditions.

As a result, the number of jobs decreased, the cost of work increased, and the boom in shipbreaking in Chittagong began to decline.

Decommissioned ships began to come here in 1969. To our time, 180-250 ships are dismantled in Chittagong annually. The coastline, where ships find their last refuge, stretches for 20 kilometers.

Their disposal takes place in the most primitive way - with the help of autogenous and manual labor. Of the 80 thousand local workers, about 10 thousand are children from 10 to 14 years old. They are the lowest paid workers, earning an average of $1.5 a day.

Every year, about 50 people die on the dismantling of ships, and about 300-400 more become crippled.

80% of this business is controlled by American, German and Scandinavian companies - scrap metal is then sent to these countries. In monetary terms, the dismantling of ships in Chittagong is estimated at 1-1.2 billion dollars a year, in Bangladesh, in the form of salaries, taxes and bribes to local officials, this amount remains 250-300 million dollars.

The shacks in which the workers and their families live stretch 8-10 km inland. The area of this "city" is about 120 square kilometers, and up to 1.5 million people live in it.
Photo 12.

The port city of Chittagong lies 264 km southeast of Dhaka, about 19 km from the mouth of the Karnaphuli River.

It is the second largest settlement in Bangladesh and its most famous tourist center. The reason for this is the favorable location of the city between the sea and the mountainous regions, a good sea coast with an abundance of islands and shoals, a large number of ancient monasteries of several cultures at once, as well as many original hill tribes inhabiting the areas of the famous hills of Chittagong. And the city itself in its history (and it was founded approximately at the turn of a new era) has experienced many interesting and dramatic events, therefore it is famous for its characteristic mixture of architectural styles and different cultures.

The main decoration of Chittagong is the old district lying along the northern bank of the river. Sadarghat. Born along with the city itself somewhere at the turn of the millennium, since ancient times it has been inhabited by wealthy merchants and ship captains, therefore, with the advent of the Portuguese, who for almost four centuries controlled all trade on the western coast of the Malacca Peninsula, the Portuguese enclave of Paterghatta grew up here, built up rich for those times villas and mansions. By the way, this is one of the few districts in the country that has still preserved Christianity.

Now in the old part of the city, the Shakhi-Jama-e-Masjid mosque (1666), the mosques of Kvadam-Mubarak (1719) and Chandanpur (XVII-XVIII centuries), the shrines of Dargah-Sah-Amanat and Bayazid Bostami in the heart of the city (there is a large pool with hundreds of turtles believed to be the descendants of an evil genie), the Bada Shah mausoleum, the majestic court complex (17th century) on Fairy Hill, and many old mansions of all styles and sizes. Many of them are far from being in the best condition, but by and large this only adds color to them. It is also worth visiting the Ethnological Museum in the modern area of Modern City, which has interesting expositions telling about the tribes and peoples of Bangladesh, the Memorial Cemetery of the Victims of World War II, the picturesque Foy Reservoir (approximately 8 km from the city center, locals call it a lake, although it formed during the construction of a railway dam in 1924), as well as Pateng Beach.

Beautiful view of the city opens from the hills Fairy Hill and the British City area. In addition, here, which is important in the conditions of constant local heat, cool sea breezes constantly blow, which makes the area a popular residence for wealthy residents of the city. However, most tourists stay in the city for literally one day, since the main point of attraction is still the hilly areas east of Chittagong.

The Chittagong Hills area includes a large area (about 13,191 sq. km) of wooded hills, picturesque gorges and cliffs, overgrown with dense jungle cover, bamboo, loach and wild grapes, and inhabited by hill tribes with their own distinctive culture and way of life. This is one of the rainiest regions of South Asia - up to 2900 mm of precipitation falls here annually, and this is at an average annual air temperature of about +26 C! The region includes four main valleys, formed by the Karnaphuli, Feni, Sanggu and Matamuhur rivers (however, each river has two or three names here). This is an atypical area of Bangladesh in terms of topography and culture, where mainly Buddhist tribes live and the population density is relatively low, which has made it possible to preserve the natural environment of the region in a relatively untouched state.

Oddly enough, the hills of Chittagong are the most turbulent region in the country and therefore visits to many areas are limited (without special permits valid for 10-14 days, you can visit only the Rangamati and Kaptai areas).
Photo 16.

Here is what they write about the working conditions in this place:

“...Using only blowtorches, sledgehammers and wedges, they cut out huge pieces of skin. After these fragments break in water like broken pieces of a glacier, they are dragged ashore and cut into small pieces weighing hundreds of pounds. They are carried onto trucks by teams of workers singing rhythmic songs, as carrying the very heavy, thick steel plates requires perfect coordination. The metal will be sold at a huge profit to the owners who live in luxurious mansions in the city. ... The cutting of the ship continues from 7:00 to 23:00 with one team of workers with two half-hour breaks, and an hour for breakfast (they have dinner after they return home at 23:00). Total - 14 hours a day, 6-1 / 2 day work week (half day on Friday is free, according to the requirements of Islam). Workers are paid $1.25 a day"

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Scrapping of old ships in Chittagong (Bangladesh).
Scrapping of old ships in Chittagong (Bangladesh).

“...Tourists used to be brought here,” says one of the locals. ─ They were shown how people disassemble multi-ton constructions practically with their bare hands. But now there is no way to come here ... "

I walked a couple of kilometers along the road that runs along the Bay of Bengal north from the city of Chittagong to a place where 12 -kilometer stretch of coast are located 80 shipbreaking yards.

Each is hidden behind a high fence covered with barbed wire, there are security guards everywhere and signs prohibiting photography. Strangers are not welcome here.

Dismantling of ships in developed countries is highly regulated and very expensive, so this dirty work is done mainly by Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. In the evening I hired a fishing boat and decided to make a trip to one of the shipyards.

Thanks to the tide, we scurried effortlessly between huge oil tankers and container ships, sheltering in the shadows of their gigantic pipes and hulls. Some of the ships were still intact, others were skeletons, stripped of their steel hulls to reveal the insides of deep, dark holds.

Sea giants serve on average 25 −30 years, most of those delivered for recycling were launched in 1980 -e. Now that the increased cost of insurance and maintenance has made old ships unprofitable, their value lies in the steel of their hulls.

We arrived here at the end of the day, when the workers had already gone home, and the ships rested in silence, occasionally disturbed by the splashing of water and the tinkling of metal coming from their bellies. There was a smell in the air sea water and oil.

Making our way along one of the ships, we heard ringing laughter and soon saw a group of boys. They floundered around the half-submerged metal skeleton, climbing on it and diving into the water.

Nearby, fishermen set up nets in the hope of a good catch of rice fish, a local delicacy. Suddenly, quite close to a height of several floors, a sheaf of sparks fell. “You can't come here! a worker shouted from above. “What, tired of living?” Ocean-going vessels are designed for many years of service in extreme conditions.

No one thinks that sooner or later they will have to be taken to pieces, many of which will contain toxic materials like asbestos and lead. Dismantling of ships in developed countries is highly regulated and very expensive, so this dirty work is done mainly by Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

The labor force here is very cheap, and there is almost no control whatsoever. True, the situation in the industry is gradually improving, but this process is very protracted.

For example, India has finally introduced new requirements for the safety of workers and the environment. However, in Bangladesh, where as much as 194 ship, this work remains very dangerous.

Along with this, he brings in a lot of money. Activists say that in three to four months, investing about five million dollars in dismantling one ship at a shipyard in Bangladesh, you can get up to a million in profit on average.

Jafar Alam, the former head of an association of shipbreaking companies in Bangladesh, disagrees with these figures:

«... It all depends on the class of the vessel and on many other factors, for example, current steel quotations... »

Whatever the profit, it cannot arise from scratch: more 90 % of materials and equipment acquire a second life.

The process begins with the purchase of a ship by a shipbuilder from an international broker that sells used ships. To deliver the ship to the place of dismantling, the company hires a captain who specializes in "parking lot" huge ships on a strip of beach a hundred meters wide.

After the ship gets stuck in the coastal sand, all liquids are drained from it and sold: the remains of diesel fuel, engine oil and fire-fighting substances. Then the mechanisms and internal equipment are removed from it.

Everything is on sale, without exception, from huge engines, batteries and kilometers of copper wiring, ending with the bunks on which the crew slept, portholes, lifeboats and electronic devices from the captain's bridge. Then the devastated building is surrounded by workers who have come to work from the poorest regions of the country.

First, they dismember the ship with acetylene cutters. Then the loaders drag the fragments to the shore: the steel will be melted down and sold - it will be used in the construction of buildings.

“... Good business, you say? But just think of the chemicals poisoning our earth! ─ Mohammed Ali Shaheen, an activist with the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, is outraged. ─ You have not yet seen young widows whose husbands died under broken structures or suffocated in the holds... »

11 years of his 37 Shaheen is trying to draw public attention to the hard labor of workers in shipyards.

The entire industry, he says, is controlled by several powerful families from Chittagong, who also own a related business, in particular metal smelting. Shaheen is well aware that his country is in dire need of jobs.

“... I am not demanding a complete halt to ship recycling,” he says. ─ We just need to create normal working conditions...”

Shahin is convinced that not only unprincipled compatriots are to blame for the current situation.

“... Who in the West will allow to pollute the environment in the open, dismantling ships right on the beach? Then why is it considered normal to get rid of ships that have become unnecessary here, paying a penny and constantly endangering people's lives and health? ... »

he is indignant. Having gone to the nearby barracks, I saw the workers, for whom Shakhin was so offended. Their bodies are covered with deep scars, which are called here “Chittagong tattoos”. Some men are missing fingers.

In one of the huts I met a family in which four sons worked at the shipyard. Senior, 40 -year-old Mahabab, once witnessed the death of a man: a fire broke out in the hold from a cutter.

“... I didn't even come to this shipyard for money, afraid that they wouldn't let me go just like that,” he said. ─ The owners do not like to wash dirty linen in public... »

Mahabab shows a photo on a shelf:

“... This is my brother Jahangir. He was engaged in metal cutting at the shipyard near Ziri Subedar, where he died in 2008 year... »

Together with other workers, the brother unsuccessfully tried for three days to separate a large section from the ship's hull.

Then it began to rain, and the workers decided to take shelter under it. At this point, the structure could not stand it and came off. third brother, 22 -year-old Alamgir, is not at home now.

While working on a tanker, he fell into a hatch and flew 25 meters. Fortunately for him, water accumulated at the bottom of the hold, it softened the blow from the fall.

Alamgir's partner went down on a rope and pulled him out of the hold. The very next day, Alamgir quit his job, and now he delivers tea to shipyard managers in the office.

The younger brother Amir works as a worker's assistant and also cuts metal. It's wiry 18 -year-old guy, on his smooth skin there are no scars yet. I asked Amir if he was afraid to work, knowing what had happened to his brothers. "Yes" He replied with a shy smile.

Suddenly, during our conversation, the roof trembled with a roar. There was a sound like thunder.

I looked out into the street.

“... Ah, it was a piece of metal that fell off the ship,” Amir said indifferently. ─ We hear this every day... »

Ship recycling centers: map

At low tide, workers drag a five-ton cable to winch the ship's fragments, formed during its dismantling, onto the shore.

These guys claim they already have 14 - it is from this age that it is allowed to work on the disposal of ships. The owners of the shipyards prefer young disassemblers - they are cheaper and do not suspect the danger that threatens them.

In addition, they can get into the most inaccessible corners of the ship.

Steel from the hulls of ships is cut in fragments, each of which weighs from 500 kilograms. Using materials at hand as linings, loaders drag these sections onto trucks.

Pieces of steel are melted down into rebar and used in the construction of buildings.

Loaders stay for days in the mud, which contains impurities of heavy metals and toxic paint: such mud spreads from ships throughout the area at high tide.

Workers armed with cutters work in pairs, insuring each other. It will take them three to six months to completely dismantle the ship, depending on its size.

It took several days to cut through the decks of the ship L eona I. And now a huge part of it suddenly separates, "spitting out" steel fragments in the direction where the shipyard authorities are located. This cargo ship was built in Croatia, in the city of Split, 30 years ago - this is the average service life of large-capacity sea vessels.

Workers warm themselves by a fire made of gaskets removed from pipe joints, without thinking that such gaskets may contain asbestos.

Near 300 people gathered for the funeral of Rana Babu from the village of Dunot at the foot of the Himalayas. The wound was only 22 years, he worked on the dismantling of the ship and died from an explosion of accumulated gas.

“... We are burying a young guy,” one of those who came to say goodbye laments. ─ When will this end? ... »

Photos: Mike Hetwer

Some time ago, we already raised the topic of the ship cemetery using the example of a place in India:. It turns out this place is not the only one.

Chittagong accounts for half of all steel produced in Bangladesh.

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Photo 5.

The history of the development of the ship recycling center in Chittagong dates back to 1960, when the Greek ship MD-Alpine was thrown onto the sandy coast of Chittagong after a storm. Five years later, after several failed attempts to refloat the MD Alpine, she was scrapped. Then the locals began to dismantle it for scrap.

Photo 6.

However, the working conditions at the dismantling of ships were terrible. Here, one worker was killed every week due to labor safety violations. Child labor was mercilessly used.

Photo 7.

Eventually, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh imposed minimum safety standards and also banned all activities that do not meet these conditions.

As a result, the number of jobs decreased, the cost of work increased, and the boom in shipbreaking in Chittagong began to decline.

Photo 8.

Decommissioned ships began to come here in 1969. To our time, 180-250 ships are dismantled in Chittagong annually. The coastline, where ships find their last refuge, stretches for 20 kilometers.

Photo 9.

Every year, about 50 people die on the dismantling of ships, and about 300-400 more become crippled.

Photo 10.

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The shacks in which the workers and their families live stretch 8-10 km inland. The area of this "city" is about 120 square kilometers, and up to 1.5 million people live in it.

Photo 12.

The port city of Chittagong lies 264 km southeast of Dhaka, about 19 km from the mouth of the Karnaphuli River.

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