When I learnt that on an average, a worker a day loses his/her life at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, I felt compelled to go. Dealing with immense red tape, I managed to get access after pursuing the Gujarat Maritime Board for six months. I rode on a motorcycle all night from Ahmedabad to Alang. On interacting with the workers, I learnt that the major cause of death is the rope used to pull welded portions of the ships apart. These old ropes tend to snap from time to time and slice through anyone in their path. Just outside of the yard you can buy anything that was once on a ship – from huge bar counters to ashtrays, everything is on sale. We live in a strange world.
