India Sets New Standard for Shipbreaking

India's Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) now has primary responsibility for approving whether or not individual ships should be broken down in the country's harbors. Shipbreaking provides scrap steel to India's burgeoning steel industry, accounting for nearly seven percent of the country's overall steel production. Until recently, the industry has gone largely unregulated despite many of the ships being insulated with asbestos and widespread international concerns about the health of Indian shipyard workers. The port of Alang is the center of India's shipbreaking industry, but has seen a steady decline in recent years. Many local business leaders are concerned that government regulation could further hurt the city's future prospects.