& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Heavy damage to ship breaking industry

Star Economic Report
Damages caused to the ship-breaking industry following the unprecedented cyclone and tidal bore were colossal. Preliminary assessment of loss In tills sector was estimated at Taka 150 crore.
A spokesman of Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association told The Daily Star that each Indi vldual ship breaker was engaged in assessing their own damages and compilation of the total kisses would be made available shortly.
The ship-breaking industry of Bangladesh is one of the vital sector which is contributing the national economy. This particular sector was subjected to substantial losses due to severe cyclone and tidal bore of April 29.
The industry is the source of supply of almost all raw materials required by the building, structural and engineering sector.
Quite a few thousands of people are employed directly as work force in the Industry. More than a hundred thousand people are dependent on the sector. Following the devastating cyclone, all the direct and indirect work-force are out of employment.
The Ship Breakers Association has classified the damages and destruction to this sector into three main heads. Firstly — the ships awaiting breaking at tlie sea shore have been subjected to severe onslaught of the cyclone and tidal bore and were' floating in precarious condition. In many places, some ships were submerged.
The Association source says, there is a little possibility of salvaging these categories of ships due to paucity of towing ship or tug in the near future.
It said the sunken ships stand no chance of salvation in remote future in spite of the best efforts taken by the concerned entrepreneurs. Investment made against these ships run some crores of Taka, it said .
Secondly, Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association said, the copper, bronze and iron plates, sheets and broken pieces of ships stored or stacked in the yards, godowns
and sea shore adjacent to the yard have been washed away. Loss on this account tanta-mounts to several crores of Taka, the Association said.
Thirdly, the infrastructure of each yard has been shattered beyond any comprehension.
The Association source said huge capital will be needed to restructure and rehabilitate this essential physical Infrastructure. Preliminary loss in this sector of the industry was estimated at Taka 150 crore.
It said actual loss can only be ascertained after compilation of final loss assessment report from the Individual ship breakers, the Association further said.
The Association urged the government to immediately assess the real extent of loss in the ship-breaking industry and take effective steps to rehabilitate the ship-breaking industry for greater national interests.