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How the pandemic is sending luxury liners to Alang, for dismantling
The Alang Shipbreaking Yard in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat is often seen a mirror of the global economy. When the economy is robust and ships sail, the yard sees a slump in business. In the last 50 days, three luxury liners have queued up to be broken.
Why is there such a queue?
The cruise liner sector, which usually attracts foreign tourists, has come to a standstill. “The Covid-19 outbreak on cruise vessel Diamond Princess docked in Japan in February 2020 caused a global scare with regard to cruise tourism,” said Haresh Parmar, honorary joint secretary of Ship Recycling Industries Association of India, and a shipbreaker at Alang. More than 3,600 passengers and crew were quarantined on the Diamond Princess at Yokohama port. The outbreak eventually led to 700 Covid infections and seven deaths.