Ban-Asbestos-India: Muzaffarpur plant stir stokes ban-asbestos debate

Monday, February 7, 2011

Muzaffarpur plant stir stokes ban-asbestos debate

NEW DELHI: Ongoing public protests in Muzaffarpur over an upcoming asbestos plant have forced the district administration to impose Section 144 near the facility, forcing stoppage of work and preventing protestors from gathering near the site.

The use of asbestos, which is known to cause lung cancer and silicosis, is banned in many countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Argentina, South Africa and Switzerland.

In India, though mining of asbestos is banned, units are allowed to manufacture asbestos products.

Muzaffarpur district magistrate Anand Kishore told TOI, "Section 144 has been imposed near the site of the asbestos plant. I have no information whether the project would be shelved for good."

Bihar is planning to open several asbestos plants in Bhojpur, West Champaran, Bettiah and Vaishali.

Bihar deputy chief minister and environment minister Sushil Kumar Modi refused to comment on the controversy. Government sources passed the buck to the Centre, saying the latter gave all the clearances to the firms.

In Muzaffarpur, a number of political parties -- such as CPI, CPI(M), SUCI --have urged the state government to permanently halt work the plant in public interest. They are also demanding for release of the protesters.

Sources in directorate general of mining safety say the ban on mining owing to health hazards doesn't make sense. Their arguement: During mining "about 2-3 inches of a 72-inch pit has asbestos, whereas there is 100% of it in a factory."

Director general of mining safety, Satish Puri, refused to be drawn into a controversy. "I cannot comment on policies. I can only talk about issues of mining safety. Asbestos is known to cause silicosis."

Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Jawaharlal Darda, who has been lobbying for a ban on asbestos, said India is a big asbestos market for countries like Australia and South Africa, which have banned its use but continue to mine it.

"Research has proved that it causes cancer. I'm aware of a lot of new units being set up in Bihar, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. I was undera lot of pressure to withdraw my Bill on asbestos ban. It got lapsed after my tenure got over. I want to re-introduce it, and have written to Rajya Sabha secretriat."

Abantika Ghosh, TNN, Feb 5, 2011

Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muzaffarpur-plant-stir-stokes-ban-asbestos-debate/articleshow/7427363.cms#ixzz1DIx6hXxi

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Ban on Asbestos is a Must

A study in a peer-reviewed journal had earlier estimated that there could be more than 6,000 workers affected by asbestosis (an untreatable lung ailment) and another 600 suffering at the minimum from asbestosis-related lung cancer in India at present. Occupational cancer from asbestos, the disease caused by emissions at the work place, poses an increasingly serious health problem. But the subject has attracted relatively little attention from industry, labour, public health bodies or the medical profession. Asbestos is one of the single largest sources of occupational cancer. Indian polticians are acting as if they are bonded workers of asbestos industry.

World Trade Center, New York collapsed Thousands of tons of asbestos became airborne.

Back in 1981, there was research coming out that Asbestos was cancer causing and this ad was in rebuttal to that research touting the benefits of using Asbestos. The text over the Twin Towers states, "When the Fire Alarm Went Off, It Took Two Hours to Evacuate New York's World Trade Center." I do not need to remind anyone of the images of September 11th and this ad. The copy below the ad goes on to mention all of the places that Asbestos was used in the World Trade Center. I can not not think of all of the innocent victims in the area that were exposed to all of the dust, smoke and inherent asbestos that was in the air after the buildings collapsed. The cloud of smoke went across the entire city and potentially exposed hundreds of thousands of individuals to asbestos. Hopefully there can be a cure or treatment for Mesothelioma before all of these potential victims are diagnosed.

Apex Court allocates meagre compensation for asbetsos victims

In 1995, the Supreme Court of India fixed Rs 1 lakh compensation amount and identified National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) as the final authority to certify asbestosis cases. Compensations are given through the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Two workers in Ahmedabad Electricity Company diagnosed as having asbestosis by NIOH have been compensated by Gujarat High Court. Twenty-five workers in asbestos jointing and packing industry at Mumbai were compensated by the Special medical board of ESIC. The court ruled that the industrial units must maintain a health record of every worker up to a minimum period of 40 years; insure workers under the Employees State Insurance Act or Workmen’s Compensation Act and give health coverage to every worker.

Asbestos Victims

Every day estimated 30 deaths in India is under way due to the ongoing trade and use of white asbestos. 'Asbestos' in Greek means 'indestructible'. Greeks called asbestos the 'magic mineral'. Asbestos is a generic term, referring usually to six kinds of naturally occuring mineral fibres. Of these six, three are used more commonly. Chrysotile is the most common, accounts for almost 90 per cent of the asbestos used in the industry, but it is not unusual to encounter Amosite or Crocidolite as well. Though Crocidolite asbestos is banned in India, it can still be found in old insulation material, old ships that come from other countries for wrecking in India. All types of asbestos tend to break into very tiny fibre, almost microscopic. In fact, some of them may be up to 700 times smaller than human hair. Because of their small size, once released into the air, they may stay suspended in the air for hours or even days. Asbestos fibres are virtually indestructible. They are resistant to chemicals and heat, and are very stable in the environment. They do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water, and they do not break down over time. Because of its high durability and with tensile strength asbestos has been widely used inconstruction and insulation materials - it has been used in over 3,000 different products. Where do we use it? In India, asbestos is used in manufacture of pressure and non pressure pipes used for water supply, sewage, irrigation and drainage system in urban and rural areas, asbestos textiles, laminated products, tape, gland packing, packing ropes, brake lining and jointing used in core sector industries such as automobile, heavy equipment, petro-chemicals, nuclear power plants, fertilizers, thermal power plants, transportation, defence.

Make India Asbestos Free

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Monday, February 7, 2011

Muzaffarpur plant stir stokes ban-asbestos debate

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