Bhojpur Awaits Time Bomb of Incurable Asbestos Diseases

0/6/2011/New Delhi:In a letter to Nitish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister, London based International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has pointed out that Great Britain has suffered "country’s worst epidemic of occupational disease and death. This year, more than 3,500 people will die from asbestos-related illnesses including asbestosis, mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in the UK." The letter takes cognisance of the "factories that manufacture asbestos-cement products have already been built in Bihiya, and Giddha, Bhojpur" and "additional facilities in Bihar in the near future". The attached letter was sent on 8th June, 2011.

In her letter, Laurie Kazan-Allen, head of IBAS has underlined that "These diseases are the result of hazardous asbestos exposures at work, at home and from environmental sources. There can be no doubt at all that the asbestos epidemic which is now being seen in Britain and other industrialized countries will occur in India."

The letter refers to two books published by IBAS namely: Killing the Future – Asbestos Use in Asia and India’s Asbestos Time Bomb which contain multiple images which depict the hazardous conditions in which asbestos-containing products are used in India. Both the books are available at http://ibasecretariat.org/ktf_web_fin.pdf.

In a significant exercise, the Chronology of National Asbestos Bans in 55 country has been compiled by IBAS along with the
Current Asbestos Bans and Restrictions world over. The chronology is attached.

Two of these plants have just been set up in Bihiya, Bhojpur, Bihar by Tamil Nadu based company, Ramco Industries Ltd.
The third one has been set up at Giddha, Koilwar Block, Bhojpur, Bihar by Tamil Nadu based Nibhi Industries Pvt. Ltd.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka an Erudite committee has been appointed to look into health and environmental hazards of the use of asbestos. The committee was appointed considering the world trends to abandon the use of asbestos due to their negative impacts. In a communication to us Dr Charitha Herath, Chairman Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Sri Lanka informed BANI, "We at the CEA are trying our best to study the matter of Asbestos and to take an appropriate action." Unmindful of incurable disease caused by asbestos fibers, Nibhi Industries Pvt. Ltd has proposed a plant in Sri Lanka too.

It is noteworthy that on 10th May, 2010, the project of Ramco Industries was discussed by the Experts Appraisal Committee (EAC), Industry of Union Environment Ministry. In the minutes of the EAC, there is explicit reference to "Health Management Plan for Mesothalimoa, Lung cancer and Asbestosis related problems in asbestos industries". IBAS letter is quite a timely warning for the Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi who has allotted lands for four asbestos plants without the application of scientific mind. This step of the Deputy Chief Minister reveals his colossal ignorance about epidemic of asbestos related diseases in the entire developed world.

Modi and his advisers are bringing disrepute to Bihar by ignoring "A Repeat Call for the Banning of Asbestos" published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news published by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services published in July 2010. The document regard first call titled The Case for a Global Ban on Asbestos is attached.

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) welcomes the letter of IBAS to Bihar Chief Minister with copies to Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Lal Krishna Advani, Jairam Ramesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Pranab Mukherjee, Dr Murali Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitli, Dr C P Thakur, Sushil Kumar Modi and Dr Pratima S. Verma, District Magistrate, Bhojpur, Bihar
amid the struggle underway to stop the three asbestos plants in Bhojpur district and additional facilities like the ones proposed in Visahali, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, West Champaran in Bihar.

<1>http://ibasecretariat.org/ktf_web_fin.pdf

http://ibasecretariat.org/ktf_web_fin.pdf

<1> http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agencies.php

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International Ban Asbestos Secretariat

P.O. Box 93, Stanmore HA7 4GR England

website: http://www.ibasecretariat.org

email: [email protected]

Campaigning for a global asbestos ban and justice for all asbestos victims!

Shri Nitish Kumar

Chief Minister of Bihar State,

Patna, India

email: [email protected]

Expansion of Asbestos Production in Bihar State

June 8, 2011

Dear Sir:

It has come to our attention that plans are currently being progressed in the Indian State of Bihar regarding the expansion of the asbestos industrial sector. We understand that factories which manufacture asbestos-cement products have already been built in Bihiya, and Giddha, Bhojpur and that companies from the asbestos industry have indicated their intention to construct additional facilities in Bihar in the near future.

The cumulative consumption of asbestos in India exceeds 7 million tonnes. The use of 6 million tonnes of asbestos in Great Britain has caused the country’s worst epidemic of occupational disease and death. This year, more than 3,500 people will die from asbestos-related illnesses including asbestosis, mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in the UK. These diseases are the result of hazardous asbestos exposures at work, at home and from environmental sources. There can be no doubt at all that the asbestos epidemic which is now being seen in Britain and other industrialized countries will occur in India. For the people who have already been exposed to asbestos, it is too late; but steps can be taken to protect others from contracting these debilitating and deadly diseases.

Worldwide the asbestos epidemic is causing more than 100,000 deaths per year from occupational exposures; when you include the number of deaths caused by other exposures, the toll paid by humanity for the profiteering by asbestos stakeholders is almost too high to contemplate. Industry lobbying groups say that chrysotile asbestos – the only type of asbestos still used and the one which is at the heart of the asbestos production in your State – can be used safely under “controlled conditions”. The fact that such conditions have not been achieved in any country – neither in the developed nor developing world – is a fact they choose to omit from the commercial propaganda.

Even if the “controlled use of asbestos” was possible, and no reputable international organization or independent scientist believes it is, there is no control whatsoever on how asbestos products are used once they have left the factory. There are numerous photos of asbestos misuse in India which can be viewed on the internet. Indeed two of our own publications, Killing the Future – Asbestos Use in Asia and India’s Asbestos Time Bomb – contain multiple images which depict the hazardous conditions in which asbestos-containing products are used in India.<1>

Recognizing the hazards of using asbestos, all the major international agencies have adopted policies calling for asbestos to be banned.<2> I urge you and your colleagues to study the independent evidence which is so readily available so that you may take proactive action and shut-down the polluting sites planned for your State. When it comes to asbestos, prevention is the only cure. If you act decisively and rule that that polluting industries such as the asbestos industry are not welcome in Bihar and mandate that asbestos-processing industrial units are not part of the Bihar State economic policy, you will not only be doing a great service to future generations in Bihar but also be setting an example for other Indian States. I would also urge that you and your fellow Parliamentarians in Bihar lobby the Indian Government to take similar actions.

Sincerely,

Laurie Kazan-Allen

Laurie Kazan-Allen (Mrs.)

Coordinator: International Ban Asbestos Secretariat

Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, National Advisory Council
Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, Government of India
Mr Lal Krishna Advani, Member of Parliament, former Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Environment & Forests Minister
Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister
Mr Anand Sharma, Union Commerce Minister
Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Union Finance Minister
Dr Murali Manohar Joshi, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee,
Parliament of India
Mrs Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha, Parliament of India
Mr Arun Jaitli, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India
Dr C P Thakur, Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals &
Fertilizers and Member, Parliamentary Consultative Committee for Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare
Mr Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Bihar

Dr (Mrs) Pratima S. Verma, District Magistrate, Bhojpur, Bihar

<1>http://ibasecretariat.org/ktf_web_fin.pdf

http://ibasecretariat.org/ktf_web_fin.pdf

<2> http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agencies.php

Hastakshep