Ban-Asbestos-India: Kudos to Government of Thailand’s efforts to ban asbestos

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Kudos to Government of Thailand’s efforts to ban asbestos

To

Ms Yingluck Shinawatra
Prime Minister
Government of Thailand
Bangkok

Through Mr Pisan Manawapat Government of Thailand’s Ambassador to India

Date: July 27, 2012

Subject- Kudos to Government of Thailand’s efforts to ban asbestos

Madam,

This is with reference to news report ‘Thailand’s move to ban asbestos leaves Quebec looking foolish’ (National Post, Christopher Nardi, July 26, 2012), we wish to express our deep sense of appreciation for initiating efforts to ban chrysotile asbestos (white asbestos) imports in the coming months.

We have noted that in January 2011, Thailand’s National Economic and Social Advisory Council recommended banning imports and sales of asbestos in Thailand due to its link to health problems, including cancer.

We welcome the resolution adopted in February 2011 by Thai authorities to ban it. It is indeed quite significant that the resolution was proposed by the National Health Commission of Thailand, chaired by you.

We have observed how your government has debunked misplaced claims about safe and controlled use of asbestos like more than 55 countries. There is no sanity in adopting Ostrich policy in eth face of the resolution passed by World Health Organization, International Labour Organisation World Federation of Public Health Associations, the International Commission on Occupational Health and even the World Bank Group seeking elimination for future use of asbestos of all kinds including chrysotile to prevent preventable diseases and deaths of innocent workers, consumers and citizens from the killer fibers of asbestos.

We congratulate you for joining the anti-asbestos movement which is critical of countries like Canada and Russia who “export cancer”. Your government’s initiative reveals the immorality of Quebec government’s investment in Jeffrey asbestos Mine.

We wish to inform you that your action set an example for Government of India to follow which is also “considering the ban on use of chrysotile asbestos in India to protect workers and the general population against primary and secondary exposure," a concept paper of September 2011 by the Indian Ministry of Labour. Besides even Indian Environment & Forests Ministry s Vision Statement on Environment and Human Health recommends, "Alternatives to asbestos may be used to the extent possible and use of asbestos may be phased out" and the Ministry of Chemicals has disassociate India from countries like Russia and Canada who derailed the international consensus thatcould have categorised chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance.

We wish to state that you are on the right path. In India, the Union Budget 2011-12 made an implied critical reference to asbestos by including it under Health Ministry s National Health Insurance Plan (Rashtriya Swasthya Birna Yojana) to cover the 'unorganised sector workers in hazardous mining and associated industries like asbestos etc.

In light of the above, your sensitivity towards public health and action to address the environmental and occupational health crisis due to asbestos based hazardous industries is praiseworthy and worthy of emulation by ASEAN countries and Asian countries like India. Environmental and public health groups eagerly await the formal announcement of ban on the carcinogenic fibers. You have demonstrated that your government holds public interest rather than corporate interest dear to its heart.

Thanking You

Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
Ban Asbestos India
ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com, toxicswatch.blogspot.com

Cc
Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department, Office of the Prime Minister

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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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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Kudos to Government of Thailand’s efforts to ban asbestos

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