Revive ship wrecking yard to create jobs

RAMANATHAPURAM: The ship wrecking yard at Valinokkam should be revived to create job opportunities, people of the district feel.The district is dependant mainly on fishing industry, handloom weaving and agriculture for employment and revenue. Meanwhile, a ship wrecking yard was started in the coast of Valinokkam to break damaged ships and unused vessels several years ago, as the Valinokkam bay was found to be ideal for this purpose.Moreover, Valinokkam is in a remote part of the district which did not hinder fishing industry and livelihood. Three private companies had established their ship wrecking plants here.The broken pieces of the ships were sold as scrap iron to dealers while the engines and machinery were sold to private companies. Though, the yards were run by those from other states, like Gujarat, they offered employment for some local people.The merchants hired the local vehicles to transport the scrap materials to other parts of the State providing income to vehicle owners. But the yards were closed nine years ago due to some reasons.  The Valinokkam ship wrecking yard wears a deserted look now. Only the Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation reminds of Valinokkam at present. People of the area feel that if the government decides to revive the yard, it would create employment opportunities for them.District Collector Arun Roy told Express that the feasibility of reviving the ship breaking yard would be considered and then forwarded to the government for final decision.