Get ready to be impressed as we delve into the remarkable revelations about the ships in Alang, Gujarat like never before. Every year, Alang Beach in Gujarat welcomes about a third of the unserviceable ships broken across the world.
The largest shipbreaking yard in India is located in Gujarat and is well-known as Alang. For anyone interested in watching the breaking down of massive ships into smaller parts, it offers an amazing chance. The southeast part of the city is where this yard is situated. This demanding work is performed around 20,000 workers, 24/7. October to March is the ideal time of year to visit this location. This is something that everyone of us has to experience in person; it cannot be seen anywhere else. Additionally, things that are part of the ship, including sofas and wooden furnishings, can be purchased second hand. Everybody will have a different experience just being here.
Top of Alang, Bhavnagar
An viewpoint is held by the well-known “Alang Shipyard” in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. When you first look at the damaged ships, it’s impossible to believe that these are the same ones that used to race across the wide ocean at breakneck speed. However, it is true that these ships’ final journey is to the Alang Shipyard. There are pieces of wood and iron everywhere, and the noises of machinery and large cranes tingle the ears.
Therefore, be sure to schedule your travel appropriately so that you may observe this breaking process. Take full advantage of this unique and uncommon opportunity.
What is Alang famous for?
Alang is the name of a city in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. Because of the shipbreaking industry, a large number of famous traders from industrialized nations are more familiar with this city than Indians are. People come here to dispose of ships from all over the world. A documentary called ‘Shipbreakers’ was directed by American Paul S. Goodman about this subject. This is known as Alang the ‘Graveyard of Ships‘.
What can we buy at Alang?
You can buy from alang like kitchenware, mixing machines, grinding machines, all kinds of equipment, modern furnaces, dish washers, best crockery etc. Its cabin contains luxury furnishings from around the world. Its dining hall has the best chairs, tables, fans etc. made of stainless steel or wood.
Why Alang is ideal for ship breaking?
Before you learn about Alang Beach’s shipbreaking specialty, you should first understand how shipbreaking works. While other advanced countries all over the world have complete machinery available for this operation, you will be shocked to learn that humans perform an important part of the ship-breaking process manually in Alang. Electric-powered machinery make a small impact here. Some unique metals on the ship deteriorate when cut or broken by technology, so workers break them with tools and hammers.
What is the process of shipbreaking?
The first step after taking the ship from the sea to the beach is to clean it. After cleaning, the Gujarat Pollution Board grants authorization, and workers begin the process of cutting iron. Before this, workers remove and repair interior items such as generators, electrical wiring, and anything else that can be reused, before selling them in the local market. A few kilometers from Alang Beach, there is an army of traders selling various components of the ship, such as lifeboats.
During iron cutting, two supervisors are present, one on board and one below, to guarantee that no accidents happen. After cutting off huge parts of the ship, workers lower them to the land using a crane before selling them in smaller pieces after cleaning. They sell every part of the ship, and nothing goes to waste. Just a few years ago, Alang Shipyard recycled the Indian Navy’s INS Viraat.
The Alang Ship Breaking Yard is owned by various private companies and individuals, like Nitin Kankia, who runs a ship-recycling business there. Kankia recently said the yard is struggling. He finally bought a ship for scrapping after a long wait, showing how tough things are. He’s watching closely to see if things get better soon.
How many kilometers from Bhavnagar to Alang?
The distance between Bhavnagar and Alang is approximately 50 kilometers, which takes around 1 hour via NH51.
