Ban-Asbestos-India: April 2019

Monday, April 29, 2019

Indian govt's immoral policy on asbestos indefensible

Indian govt's immoral policy on enviro-occupational diseases like incurable but preventable asbestos related diseases causes 50,000 deaths/yr. India's purchase of asbestos from Russia, Brazil & Kazakhstan despite banning asbestos mining is indefensible.

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) which is a people's alliance working for asbestos free India since 2000 was represented by its co-founder Dr Gopal Krishna at the 15th Annual Conference of Asbestos Disease Awareness Organisation (ADAO). He briefed the delegates from some 10 countries about the unscientific stance of Government of India on continued trade, manufacture and use of white chrysotile asbestos. He spoke at George Washington University on the subject of deadly propaganda of the asbestos industry, Rotterdam Convention and the need for a mandatory UN treaty to hold corporate criminals like asbestos companies accountable for the ongoing worldwide public health disaster.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

BANI co-founder to speak at George Washington University during Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) co-founder Gopal Krishna will be speaking at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University at the 15th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference during April 5-7, 2019. He will speak during the conference on “Deadly Propaganda: Asbestos Imports, Use and Deaths”. BANI has been working for asbestos free India since 2000.

ADAO's 15th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference on April 5 - 7, 2019 in Washington, DC http://bit.ly/2Va0u2019AAPC

Deadly Propaganda: Asbestos Imports, Use and Deaths || “Breathless” Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion at George Washington University on Thursday, April 4, 2019 http://bit.ly/2QvgZZs.

Formed in 2002, BANI is working with concerned villagers, city folks, peoples movements, doctors, researchers and activists besides trade unions, human rights, environmental, consumer and public health groups.

BANI seeks accountability from public institutions, criminal liability for companies besides preventive and medico-legal remedy for victims of asbestos related diseases. BANI’s struggle with Khet Bachao Jeewan Bachao Jansangharsh committeeand Paryawarn Bachao Jeewan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti in the remote villages of Bihar led to the stoppage of the asbestos based plants in Bihar:

—Tamil Nadu based Nibhi Industries Pvt. Ltd’s Plant at Giddha, Ara, Bhojpur

—Telangana based Hyderabad Industries Ltd’s plant at Kumarbagh Industrial Area, West Champaran

—West Bengal based Balmukund Cement & Roofings Ltd’s at Chainpur-Bishunpur, Marwan, Muzaffarpur

—West Bengal based Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL)’s Plant at Goraul, Vaishali

—Rajasthan based A Infrastructure Ltd’s Plant at Pandaul Industrial Area, Madhubani

BANI has been working for asbestos free shipping, ship breaking/recycling industry and seeking ban on asbestos laden talc powder.

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

Ban-Asbestos-India

Monday, April 29, 2019

Indian govt's immoral policy on asbestos indefensible

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

BANI co-founder to speak at George Washington University during Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference

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