Prior to this National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM) had also extended its support and wrote a letter to Bihar government in this regard.
Amidst heavy police presence, disappointed with state government’s response, the villagers have threatened to undertake self-immolation against the construction of the toxic asbestos factory in their village. They are shocked at the collusion between the district administration and the factory owners.

A BANI delegation met the state President of Janata Dal (United), Vashishtha Narain Singh, and gave a written petition on December 29 seeking his support for the movement against asbestos plant in Muzaffarpur in particular and in the state in general. He has promised to respond after January 2, 2011. A petition has been sent to the heads of national political parties as well.

Meanwhile even before the disclosure of the factory owner’s meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi, a letter has been sent to latter by BANI drawing his attention towards the massive opposition to the life threatening factory. The letters of world’s foremost asbestos expert, Dr Barry Castleman and Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi, Professor and Head, Dept of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi have also been sent.

Dr Chaturvedi’s letter states, “It is disturbing to note that new factories to produce asbestos containing products are being established in Bihar. Asbestos is a highly hazardous material to human health and both occupational as well as non-occupational exposures to any form of asbestos are associated with mesothelioma and other malignancies among humans. WHO, IARC, US EPA and several leading biomedical journals have identified asbestos as a potent carcinogenic material which needs to be replaced by safer substitutes. This is what the regulatory bodies and experts have been saying for a long time”.

Contradicting the misplaced claims of the owners of Balmukund asbestos company Member of Parliament, SUCI, Dr Tarun Mandal, has written to Union Minister of Environment & Forests Jairam Ramesh, seeking his intervention to stop the hazardous asbestos factory in Muzaffarpur. He has alleged that the factory owner has “misled” and has been “feeding false information” to the Union Environment Ministry. Dr Mandal has expressed dismay at the fact that the “making of Asbestos Factory on fertile agricultural land by Balmukund Company” constitutes “plundering fertile farm land adding threat to food security”. He has noted that “The land, surrounded by thickly populated villages having number of schools, was purchased by the company” saying “an agriculture related plant will be raised there”. Dr Mandal has sought an inquiry by the Environment Ministry.

Reputed institutions such as Dept of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Centre for Science and Environment, Science for Society, Breakthrough Society, ToxicsWatch Alliance have raised objections against the proposed asbestos plant based on rigorous scientific and medical findings. Dr Gopalji Trivedi, Ex Vice Chancellor of Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar disapproved of acquisition of agricultural land for industrial operations such as asbestos factories.

In such grave circumstances, Bihar government cannot and should not become party to asbestos company’s blind lust for profit at any human cost.

In view of the deleterious effect of asbestos mining on the health of the workers, the Union government has ordered the State governments in 1986 not to grant any new mining lease for asbestos (including chrysotile variety) in the country. In June 1993, the Union government stopped the renewal of existing mining leases of asbestos in the country.The ministry has rightly recognised the poisonous nature of asbestos fibers. Is it reasonable for the Bihar government to ignore the "deleterious effect of asbestos."

According to Press statement released on behalf of BANI its convenor, Gopal Krishna, expects a pro-farmer, pro-people, pro-worker and pro-environment decision from the Bihar government. Public interest creates a compelling logic for Bihar government to denounce indefensible and misleading information being offered by Kolkota- based Balmukund Asbestos Company choosing not to learn from the experience of Singur and Nandigram.

Till date, some 52 countries have banned asbestos. Asbestos is recognized as a carcinogen and is banned in all 27 European Union member countries besides Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and Japan. Unmindful of this between 1999 and 2001, Canada’s government spent about $575,000 appealing France’s 1997 asbestos ban, only to have even the World Trade Organization (WTO) uphold the prohibition imposed on these killer fibers. Turkey has announced that it has banned production, use and supply of asbestos from 30th December, 2010.

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