India’s ship graveyard runs aground – in pictures

Workers at the world’s biggest ship-breaking yard comes from poor states such Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. Subhash Sharma for The National

Ships are scrapped mainly for their steel because the metal can be sold on for use in construction, for example. Other components of the vessel, including the mechanical parts, lifeboats and furniture, are also sold off. Subhash Sharma for The National

Business has gone down for stores and stalls operating in Alang because of the slowdown. Subhash Sharma for The National

Shops lining the roads which sell the salvaged goods from broken ships hardly find any customers these days. Subhash Sharma for The National

A shipready to be scrapped is grounded at at Alang. Subhash Sharma for The National

Workers return to their quarters after ending their shift at a ship-breaking yard. Subhash Sharma for The National

Shops lining the roads which sell the salvaged goods from broken ships hardly find any customers these days. Subhash Sharma for The National

Workers at the world’s biggest ship-breaking yard comes from poor states such Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. Subhash Sharma for The National

Workers take a break from their jobs to eat lunch. Subhash Sharma for The National

These three-wheeled lorries used to ferry workers but now find fewer customers as the numbers of workers employed in yards has gone down. Subhash Sharma for The National

Workers at the world’s biggest ship-breaking yard comes from poor states such Bihar, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. Subhash Sharma for The National

Gaurav Mehta, the director of Priya Blue Industries, which was awarded a Guinness World Records title for breaking the largest ship in the world, Seawise Giant, a tanker. Subhash Sharma for The National

Just 30 of the 130 once operational ship-breaking yards at Alang are active while the others have shut down as lower steel prices and a soft rupee has made scrapping sea vessels financially unviable.