The Hong Kong Convention and the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 represent India's commitment to sustainable maritime practices. Discuss the key provisions of the Act and evaluate the progress made in implementation.

Ship recycling is hazardous but essential to the circular economy. India acceded to the Hong Kong International Convention (HKC), 2009 on 28 November 2019 and enacted the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 (Presidential assent, 13 December 2019) to give it statutory force [2]. Together they mark a shift from unregulated beaching to a rules-based, environmentally sound regime.

Key provisions of the Act

• Restriction on hazardous materials — prohibits use or installation of hazardous substances (asbestos, PCBs, ozone-depleting substances) on ships, irrespective of whether the ship is meant for recycling [2].
• Differential compliance timeline — immediate for new ships; a five-year transition for existing ships [2].
• Mandatory certification — ships must carry an inventory of hazardous materials and obtain a Ready for Recycling Certificate; yards must be authorised and follow a ship-specific recycling plan [2].
• Enforcement machinery — sets international standards with a statutory mechanism for enforcement [2]; the Directorate General of Shipping was notified as the National Authority for Ship Recycling in 2020, creating a single-window regulator [3].

Evaluating implementation

• Capacity upgraded: ₹53.5 crore in central assistance helped 115 yards become HKC-compliant, mainly at Alang, Gujarat [1].
• Global leadership: India's share rose from 30.1% (2024) to 35.4% (2025), with volumes up nearly 60% to 2.99 million GT — the Maritime India Vision 2030 target met five years early [1].
• Persistent gaps: HKC compliance does not automatically confer listing under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation; India is still pursuing inclusion of its yards in the EU approved list, keeping the premium EU-flagged segment largely out of reach [4]. Worker safety, effluent treatment and rehabilitation of informal labour remain uneven, and Alang's expansion toward ~9 million LDT will test regulatory capacity [1].

The Act has credibly converted a treaty obligation into measurable outcomes. Sustaining this requires faster EU recognition, stronger yard-level inspection, and worker welfare investment — aligning India's maritime growth with SDG-8 (decent work) and SDG-12 (responsible production).