Home to the most extensive ship-breaking yard in the world, the tale of Bhavnagar is intricately woven on the creases of the rise and fall of its shipbreaking industry. With the change in economic activities, a port city is likely to experience rise and fall.
In time, ships came in through the Juna bander(Old port). However, with the increase in ship size the lock gate failed to let ships pass through. The ships would now be anchored afar and the goods unloaded by employing boats. This turned out to be expensive. Such circumstances lead to the birth of the Nava bander(New port).
Shipbreaking is a laborious job. And, the fact that labor in Bhavnagar is available in abundance is another reason why this city is allowed to develop itself as a shipbreaking yard. Despite working from morning till evening, people get minimum wages. The neglect of the city can be now captured into a social infrastructure that weaves the tale of the people and their employment source....
