Press Statement
Stop Asbestos Factories in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali & Bhojpur
State Govt Should Ban on Asbestos, Like Endosulfan was Banned in Kerela, Karnataka
Supreme Court has recommended ban on Asbestos, Ban Asbestos Bill pending in Rajya Sabha
Patna/New Delhi, 14/5/2011:While Bihar government can and should ban asbestos based products on health grounds because health is a state subject the way Kerala and Karnataka banned Endosulfan, a toxic chemical the central government must adopt a policy of no future use of asbestos of all kinds and desist from signing trade agreement with asbestos countries like Quebec, Canada.
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)* has written to Bihar government and the Union Environment Ministry to stop the proposed asbestos plants in Bihar. These include:
1) Kolkata based Balmukund Cement & Roofings Ltd for establishment of 1.5 Lakh MT capacity production unit of Asbestos Fiber Cement Sheet (Corrugated/Flat) and Accessories at Chainpur-Bishunpur, Marwan, Muzaffarpur
2) Kolkatta based Utkal Asbestos Ltd for establishment of the asbestos cement plant in Vaishali.
3) Chennai based Ramco Industries Ltd and Nibhi Industries Pvt. Ltd for establishment of Asbestos Cement Sheet Plants in Bihiya and Giddha, Koilwar, Bhojpur
The Union Environment Ministry’s 19 page Vision Statement on Environment and Human Health (Para 4.3.1) on page 12 which reads: “Alternatives to asbestos may be used to the extent possible and use of asbestos may be phased out”. This vision statement is available on Ministry’s website. In a statement Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare had informed the Rajya Sabha saying: “Studies by the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, have shown that long-term exposure to any type of asbestos can lead to the development of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma” on August 18, 2003.
Kerala Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has recommended ban on use of asbestos roofs for schools and hospitals and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has termed exposing human beings to asbestos fibers as human rights violation. The KHRC and its chairperson Justice N Dhinakar has ruled that exposing Indians to asbestos is a human rights violation. This paves the way for the eventual complete ban on asbestos and its products.
On January 31, 2009, KHRC ruled that the government should take steps to phase out asbestos roofing from all schools in the state. The commission has directed the state government to replace the asbestos roofs of those school buildings under the government control with country tiles in a phased manner. The government has been directed to initiate measures to ensure that asbestos roofs are replaced with country tiles within a fixed time-frame in the case of schools that are run under the private managements. The state government has been directed to make sure that no new school begins functioning with asbestos roofing in the future. The petition submitted to the commission complained that roofing school buildings with asbestos were hazardous to the health of children.
In an order dated January 21, 2011, Hon’ble Supreme Court’s bench of Chief Justice of India Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Panicker Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar has observed in para 15, “the Government has already presented the Bill in Rajya Sabha. The statement of objects and reasons of this Bill specifically notices that the white asbestos is highly carcinogenic and it has been so reported by the World Health Organisation. In India, it is imported without any restriction while even its domestic use is not preferred by the exporting countries.” It is noteworthy that once a Bill is introduced in Rajya Sabha, it never lapses.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India notes, “Canada and Russia are the biggest exporters of white asbestos. In 2007, Canada exported 95% of the white asbestos, it mined out of which 43% was shipped to India. In view of these facts, there is an urgent need for a total ban on the import and use of white asbestos and promote the use of alternative materials. The Bill is yet to be passed but it is clearly demonstrated that the Government is required to take effective steps to prevent hazardous impact of use of asbestos.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a new factsheet on asbestos:http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs343/en/index.html It re-iterates that the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos and specifically states that its strategy is particularly targeted at countries still using chrysotile asbestos. The factsheet notes that “more than 107 000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure.”
The work of WHO and International Labour Organization (ILO) must be taken cognisance of by Bihar Government in its efforts towards elimination of asbestos-related diseases “by recognizing that the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos and by providing information about solutions for replacing asbestos with safer substitutes and developing economic and technological mechanisms to stimulate its replacement.”
The New Delhi Declaration Seeking Elimination of cancer causing all forms of asbestos including Chrysotile from India was adopted and endorsed by eminent scientists and doctors on 24th March, 2011. This happened at a Round Table which was organized immediately after the conclusion of International Conference on "Emerging Trends in Preventing Occupational Respiratory Diseases and Cancers in Workplace" at Maulana Azad Medical College that expressed grave concern about asbestos related diseases like lung cancer in the national capital.
"Considering the worldwide move for a ban on asbestos it will be unwise and a misplaced idea to promote factories of asbestos in the state of Bihar. It is reported that as many as six plants are coming up in Bihar, the Marwan being in the most advanced stagewith largest capacity. Others are proposed in Madhubani, ....Vaishali, W. Champaran and Bhojpur,” observes a Report on the Issues relating to setting up of an Asbestos factory at Marwan in Muzaffarpur district released by People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), India's oldest and the largest human rights organization.
PUCL rightly recommends “an immediate stoppage of the work at all the places. Bihar can not be made the dumping ground of hazardous production exposing the people here to all kinds of risks, because they are poor.”
Bihar’s State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) must be made to adopt a policy of not approving asbestos based industrial projects. SIPB gave approval to Kolkata based M/S Balmukund Cement & Roofings Ltd’s proposal for establishment of 1.5 Lakh MT capacity production unit of Asbestos Fiber Cement Sheet (Corrugated/Flat) and Accessories at Chainpur-Bishunpur, Marwan, Muzaffarpur on 21st December, 2009.
In a paper presented at the World Asbestos Congress in Tokyo, BANI pointed out that Government’s own records show that the danger from asbestos was documented in India as early as 1968. In undivided Bihar, Purnendu Mazumdar, leader of the United Mine Workers Union had campaigned for the occupational health rights of 30 workers from the Roro mines, Chaibasa, West Singhbhum district died of asbestosis. This issue was raised in the Parliament by Indrajit Gupta, Member of Parliament but no action has been taken against the company in question so far.
Notably, none of the 300 medical colleges in India have the competence of even diagnosing the incurable diseases caused by the killer fibers of asbestos.
PUCL report once again vindicates the veracity of BANI’s position in the face of the onslaught of misinformation campaign by Chrysotile Asbestos (white asbestos) industry association and sponsored news reports and advertorials. BANI awaits the Fact Finding report of Asbestos Virodhi Nagrik Manch as well.
BANI appeals to the Union Finance Minister to provide budgetary allocation for promoting substitutes for asbestos, rehabilitation packages and alternative employment for asbestos workers. There are many long-established alternatives to chrysotile asbestos, which do not rely on fibre technology. Several types of non-asbestos fibres developed for use in a wide range of products can also be substituted for asbestos. The main non-asbestos fibres in current use are PVA, aramid and cellulose. A considered scientific view on their safety has recently become available. There is an urgent need to set up a Mesothelioma Register to take stock of asbestos victims. With developed nations banning and phasing out asbestos, developing countries like India have become the dumping ground for asbestos from countries like Russia and Canada.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture had sponsored the Central Building Research Institute’s (CBRI) research into alternative vegetable fibres and wastes as reinforcements for fibre-cements. The CBRI has developed roofing tiles and blocks using coir fibre and cement. These can also be used in place of asbestos by developing cement-building materials incorporating by-products of oilseeds, pulses and maize.
For Details: Gopal Krishna, BANI/Asbestos Mukti Andolan, Bihar E-mail: krishna2777@gmail.com, krishna1764@rediffmail.com
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com, Web: www.toxicswatch.com Mb: 7739308480, 09818089660
*BANI is working as a national alliance for asbestos free India to warn the citizens and governments about the impending epidemic of incurable asbestos related diseases and the consequent public health crisis in the absence of environmental-occupational due to mining, manufacturing, use and trade of asbestos is preventable. Chrysotile Asbestos (white asbestos) is promoted by Russia, Canada, India & other asbestos producing countries.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Letter to Bihar Pollution Control Board on Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
To
Prof. Subhash Chandra Singh
Chairman
Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB)
Patna
Subject-Proposed Killer Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
Dear Prof. Singh,
This is with reference to my earlier letter to Deputy Chief Minister which was copied to you. On behalf of Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), this is to urge you to avoid providing assistance to any immoral exercise to help set up the proposed asbestos plant in Vaishali. The BSPCB must take note of the fact that more than 55 countries have banned asbestos of all kinds due to health hazards.
We have learnt that Kolkata based Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL) Industries Ltd plans to establish a 2, 50, 000 MT per year capacity Asbestos Cement Sheet and Corrugated Sheet Plants at Chaksultan, Rampur Rajdhari and Goraul villages of Vaishali district in the name of UAL-Bihar. This proposed plant is contrary to the wisdom contained in the text books of Biology, Chemistry, Toxicology and Medical Sciences.
I am aware that thousands of villagers in Muzaffarpur are protesting against a proposed chrysotile asbestos based plant since May 2010 since they know that asbestos cannot be used safely and in a controlled condition anywhere in India or elsewhere. On 1st and 2nd February, 2011, the newspapers have reported that construction of the proposed asbestos plant has been stopped.
The villagers here are braving police firing and repression of the insensitive government but are convinced that hazardous factory of asbestos which would get its raw asbestos from Canada and other countries pose grave dangers for the present and future generations. Notably, Canada has a no home use policy and it has decontaminated its parliament (House of Commons) of asbestos materials.
Instead of taking cognizance of such developments locally and globally, we have noted that The Times of India has carried an advertisement of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) announcing 6/3/2011 as the date of public hearing at a school in Panapur for the proposed asbestos cement plant in Vaishali. The very fact that the asbestos raw material for the proposed will be brought from Canada, Russia, Brazil and Zimbabwe underlines that the asbestos mining in India remains banned because of health hazards.
It is quite intriguing that the announcement of the Public Hearing although drafted in Hindi has been put in a English newspaper in a village where handful of people read read it. The announcement of BSPCB makes a deliberate effort not to mention the word asbestos.
I submit that not only should the ad be put in Hindi newspapers but also the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of UAL Ltd's proposed asbestos plant be made available in Hindi before the date of public hearing. The EIA report should be uploaded on the website as well.
It is an exercise in sophistry to argue that asbestos can be used safely because WHO and ILO have already established that safe and controlled use of any kind of asbestos is impossible.
We appeal to you to take cognizance of global movement against asbestos of all kinds including white asbestos and take action to deal with the unacceptable situation of facing huge number of victims of asbestos related diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In the light of incontrovertible evidence, it would be in the fitness of things if the state government and the central government is persuaded to take preventive steps to stop imminent public health disaster.
In the midst of a global epidemic of asbestos diseases, it would be deemed inhuman to allow exposure to asbestos in Vaishali and elsewhere.
We expect a proactive and positive response from you in view of supreme human interest.
Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
Convener
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)
Asbestos Mukti Andolan
New Delhi
Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480
E-mail-krishna2777@gmail.com
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com
Cc
Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Member Secretary, Bihar State Pollution Control Board
Shri Chandra Bhushan, Associate Director, Centre for Science & Environment
Prof. Subhash Chandra Singh
Chairman
Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB)
Patna
Subject-Proposed Killer Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
Dear Prof. Singh,
This is with reference to my earlier letter to Deputy Chief Minister which was copied to you. On behalf of Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), this is to urge you to avoid providing assistance to any immoral exercise to help set up the proposed asbestos plant in Vaishali. The BSPCB must take note of the fact that more than 55 countries have banned asbestos of all kinds due to health hazards.
We have learnt that Kolkata based Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL) Industries Ltd plans to establish a 2, 50, 000 MT per year capacity Asbestos Cement Sheet and Corrugated Sheet Plants at Chaksultan, Rampur Rajdhari and Goraul villages of Vaishali district in the name of UAL-Bihar. This proposed plant is contrary to the wisdom contained in the text books of Biology, Chemistry, Toxicology and Medical Sciences.
I am aware that thousands of villagers in Muzaffarpur are protesting against a proposed chrysotile asbestos based plant since May 2010 since they know that asbestos cannot be used safely and in a controlled condition anywhere in India or elsewhere. On 1st and 2nd February, 2011, the newspapers have reported that construction of the proposed asbestos plant has been stopped.
The villagers here are braving police firing and repression of the insensitive government but are convinced that hazardous factory of asbestos which would get its raw asbestos from Canada and other countries pose grave dangers for the present and future generations. Notably, Canada has a no home use policy and it has decontaminated its parliament (House of Commons) of asbestos materials.
Instead of taking cognizance of such developments locally and globally, we have noted that The Times of India has carried an advertisement of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) announcing 6/3/2011 as the date of public hearing at a school in Panapur for the proposed asbestos cement plant in Vaishali. The very fact that the asbestos raw material for the proposed will be brought from Canada, Russia, Brazil and Zimbabwe underlines that the asbestos mining in India remains banned because of health hazards.
It is quite intriguing that the announcement of the Public Hearing although drafted in Hindi has been put in a English newspaper in a village where handful of people read read it. The announcement of BSPCB makes a deliberate effort not to mention the word asbestos.
I submit that not only should the ad be put in Hindi newspapers but also the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of UAL Ltd's proposed asbestos plant be made available in Hindi before the date of public hearing. The EIA report should be uploaded on the website as well.
It is an exercise in sophistry to argue that asbestos can be used safely because WHO and ILO have already established that safe and controlled use of any kind of asbestos is impossible.
We appeal to you to take cognizance of global movement against asbestos of all kinds including white asbestos and take action to deal with the unacceptable situation of facing huge number of victims of asbestos related diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In the light of incontrovertible evidence, it would be in the fitness of things if the state government and the central government is persuaded to take preventive steps to stop imminent public health disaster.
In the midst of a global epidemic of asbestos diseases, it would be deemed inhuman to allow exposure to asbestos in Vaishali and elsewhere.
We expect a proactive and positive response from you in view of supreme human interest.
Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
Convener
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)
Asbestos Mukti Andolan
New Delhi
Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480
E-mail-krishna2777@gmail.com
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com
Cc
Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Member Secretary, Bihar State Pollution Control Board
Shri Chandra Bhushan, Associate Director, Centre for Science & Environment
Proposed Killer Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
To
Mr Sanjeev Hans
District Magistrate
Vaishali
Bihar
Subject-Proposed Killer Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
Dear Mr Hans,
This is with reference to my earlier letter to Deputy Chief Minister which was copied to you. On behalf of Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), this is to urge you to avoid providing assistance to any immoral exercise to help set up the proposed asbestos plant in Vaishali. More than 55 countries have banned asbestos of all kinds due to health hazards.
We have learnt that Kolkata based Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL) Industries Ltd plans to establish a 2, 50, 000 MT per year capacity Asbestos Cement Sheet and Corrugated Sheet Plants at Chaksultan, Rampur Rajdhari and Goraul villages of Vaishali district in the name of UAL-Bihar. This proposed plant is contrary to the wisdom contained in the text books of Biology, Chemistry, Toxicology and Medical Sciences.
I am aware that thousands of villagers in Muzaffarpur are protesting against a proposed chrysotile asbestos based plant since May 2010 since they know that asbestos cannot be used safely and in a controlled condition anywhere in India or elsewhere. On 1st and 2nd February, 2011, the newspapers have reported that construction of the proposed asbestos plant has been stopped.
The villagers here are braving police firing and repression of the insensitive government but are convinced that hazardous factory of asbestos which would get its raw asbestos from Canada and other countries pose grave dangers for the present and future generations. Notably, Canada has a no home use policy and it has decontaminated its parliament (House of Commons) of asbestos materials.
Instead of taking cognizance of such developments locally and globally, we have noted that The Times of India has carried an advertisement of Bihar State Pollution Control Board announcing 6/3/2011 as the date of public hearing at Panapur for the proposed asbestos cement plant in Vaishali. The very fact that the asbestos raw material for the proposed will be brought from Canada, Russia, Brazil and Zimbabwe underlines that the asbestos mining in India remains banned because of health hazards.
It is an exercise in sophistry to argue that asbestos can be used safely because WHO and ILO have already established that safe and controlled use of any kind of asbestos is impossible.
We appeal to you to take cognizance of global movement against asbestos of all kinds including white asbestos and take action to deal with the unacceptable situation of facing huge number of victims of asbestos related diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In the light of incontrovertible evidence, it would be in the fitness of things if the state government and the central government is persuaded to take preventive steps to stop imminent public health disaster.
In the midst of a global epidemic of asbestos diseases, it would be deemed inhuman to allow exposure to asbestos in Vaishali and elsewhere.
We expect a proactive and positive response from you in view of supreme human interest.
Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
Convener
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)
Asbestos Mukti Andolan
New Delhi
Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480
E-mail-krishna2777@gmail.com
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com
Cc
Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister, Bihar
Shri Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Environment & Forests
Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Member of Parliament, Vaishali
Superintendent of Police, Vaishali
DDC, Vaishali
Ms Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi
Mr Sanjeev Hans
District Magistrate
Vaishali
Bihar
Subject-Proposed Killer Asbestos Plant in Vaishali
Dear Mr Hans,
This is with reference to my earlier letter to Deputy Chief Minister which was copied to you. On behalf of Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), this is to urge you to avoid providing assistance to any immoral exercise to help set up the proposed asbestos plant in Vaishali. More than 55 countries have banned asbestos of all kinds due to health hazards.
We have learnt that Kolkata based Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL) Industries Ltd plans to establish a 2, 50, 000 MT per year capacity Asbestos Cement Sheet and Corrugated Sheet Plants at Chaksultan, Rampur Rajdhari and Goraul villages of Vaishali district in the name of UAL-Bihar. This proposed plant is contrary to the wisdom contained in the text books of Biology, Chemistry, Toxicology and Medical Sciences.
I am aware that thousands of villagers in Muzaffarpur are protesting against a proposed chrysotile asbestos based plant since May 2010 since they know that asbestos cannot be used safely and in a controlled condition anywhere in India or elsewhere. On 1st and 2nd February, 2011, the newspapers have reported that construction of the proposed asbestos plant has been stopped.
The villagers here are braving police firing and repression of the insensitive government but are convinced that hazardous factory of asbestos which would get its raw asbestos from Canada and other countries pose grave dangers for the present and future generations. Notably, Canada has a no home use policy and it has decontaminated its parliament (House of Commons) of asbestos materials.
Instead of taking cognizance of such developments locally and globally, we have noted that The Times of India has carried an advertisement of Bihar State Pollution Control Board announcing 6/3/2011 as the date of public hearing at Panapur for the proposed asbestos cement plant in Vaishali. The very fact that the asbestos raw material for the proposed will be brought from Canada, Russia, Brazil and Zimbabwe underlines that the asbestos mining in India remains banned because of health hazards.
It is an exercise in sophistry to argue that asbestos can be used safely because WHO and ILO have already established that safe and controlled use of any kind of asbestos is impossible.
We appeal to you to take cognizance of global movement against asbestos of all kinds including white asbestos and take action to deal with the unacceptable situation of facing huge number of victims of asbestos related diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
In the light of incontrovertible evidence, it would be in the fitness of things if the state government and the central government is persuaded to take preventive steps to stop imminent public health disaster.
In the midst of a global epidemic of asbestos diseases, it would be deemed inhuman to allow exposure to asbestos in Vaishali and elsewhere.
We expect a proactive and positive response from you in view of supreme human interest.
Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
Convener
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)
Asbestos Mukti Andolan
New Delhi
Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480
E-mail-krishna2777@gmail.com
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com
Cc
Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister, Bihar
Shri Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Environment & Forests
Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Member of Parliament, Vaishali
Superintendent of Police, Vaishali
DDC, Vaishali
Ms Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi
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