This photo is courtesy of Mr. Raja Islam. The place is Gadani’s Ship Breaking area some 40 km west of Karachi. Ships of all sizes and shapes are broken down into small pieces of scrap here using mostly the hand tools. It is a work of sheer labor. When I first saw this picture in Raja Islam’s collection it was titled as ‘Egyptian slaves at work’. Breaking a ship into small pieces by using simpe hand tools is probably very close in effort to building a Egyptian pyramid.
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Harris - you can get a real idea here.
Harris,
True, but some machines will make life easier for these workers.
Bangladesh also has a big ship breaking industry which rivals Gadani. A while ago, I saw their photos in a National Geographic magazine.
For Gadani, when ship breaking industry was at peak, more than 40 ships were brought ashore at a time and broken to pieces.
It is said the industry got a big blow in Nawaz Sharif’s second govt when heavy taxes were levied on Gadani Ship breaking. It is alleged that it was done to promote steel from Ittefaq Industries and to discourage otherwise cheap steel coming out of Gadani ship breaking industry.
Many useable household items from ships at Gadani made their way to the spare parts market in Sher Shah Karachi. I remember I once bought a lamp shade which had been salvaged from a ship at Gadani and was at sale in Sher Shah market.
I know businessmen make millions from their work. Can’t they supply them with modern tools? On a flip side same businessmen make billions and these hard working individuals have some strength. I hope free media which is flourishing in Pakistan will expose these shady businesses so they learn how to respect a human and give them equal pay for equal work.
I agree that it is hard work but still someone’s gotta do it.
Harris, the hand tools are probably powered now, but it is still a very laborious work to break down a 70000 tonne ship into small pieces of scrap. The last time I was in Gadani (some 10 years ago), labor still used big ‘hammers’ and other tools (big chisels etc) to slowly break down the ship.
I must be looking at a different picture than Viqar. I am looking at hard working individuals earning an honest living.
Breaking ships is a very specialized business and the hand tools you speak of are power tools. Cutters, grinders, welders and drills are mostly powered these days. The market demands certain dimensions of ship “plates” that would fit in a smelter and the only way to stick to that standard is to use controlled cutting techniques.
Steel is a booming business these days specially in our neck of the woods with India, China and our local market pushing up prices due to increased demand.
I am apalled. This is the 21st century. What are we doing to the lives of our citizens? Good grief!