Alang
Town in Gujarat, India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alang is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Because it is home to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard, Alang beaches are considered the world's largest ship graveyard.[1]
Alang | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Ships beached at Alang for scrapping, satellite view, 17 March 2017 | |
  Alang  Alang | |
| Coordinates: 21°23′51″N 72°10′39″E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Bhavnagar |
| Population (2001) | |
• Total | 18,464 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Gujarati |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | |
| Vehicle registration | GJ 04 |
| Website | gujaratindia |
Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census,[2] Alang had a population of 18,464. Males constitute 82% of the population and females 18%. Alang has an average literacy rate of 62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with 89% of the males and 11% of females literate. Seven percent of the population is under 6 years of age.[citation needed]
Economy
Mithi Virdi nuclear power plant
Mithi Virdi (or Viradi) is a proposed site consisting of six nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 6,600 MW about 3 km (2 mi) north of the ship breaking beach.[3]
The proposed nuclear plant has faced heavy opposition from the local population. The area around the proposed plant is known for growing some of the highest-quality kesar mango trees.
Ship Breaking Yard
The Alang Ship Breaking Yard is the world's largest ship breaking yard, responsible for dismantling more than a third of retired freight and cargo ships salvaged from around the world.[4][5][6] It is located on the Gulf of Khambhat by the town of Alang, in the district of Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat, India.
N. Sundaresan was the founder of Alang Ship Recycling Yard in 1983,[7] the shipyard is believed to have acquired a total of US$110.6 billion in aggregate value, including total assets. Its growth has prompted its extension northeast towards Sosiya in Gujarat, and it is now often referred to as the Alang-Sosiya Yard.[8][9]
In popular culture
On the Road to Alang[10] is a 2005 documentary on passenger ships scrapped at Alang, by Peter Knego of Maritime Matters.[11]
Shipbreakers is a 2004 documentary on the industry in Alang by Michael Kot.[12]
World War Z, a 2006 novel by Max Brooks, features Alang as a destination for refugees seeking to escape a zombie plague by sea.
Battlefield 2042, a 2021 first-person shooter, features Alang as the setting for the multiplayer map Discarded.[13]
