Local people and eye-witnesses alleged that the police resorted to unprovoked lathicharge on the farmers sitting on dharna in protest against the plan to set up an asebestos factory in Chainpur-Vishnupur village. This agitated the farmers and they started pelting stones. There was free for all from both sides with police firing tear gas shells to be followed by firing. Though the police denied of firing the local people complaint of the police brutality especially on women.

The protesters had the support of CPI, CPI(M), SUCI and several social organizations like Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI).

The villagers alleged that the government had declared the fertile land of the area as arid and permitted a private company to set up the plant despite protests by them. The agitation has been going on since May last year.
The plants based on chrysotile––the chemical name for white asbestos, which accounts for more than 95 per cent of the present world trade in asbestos––has resulted in stiff resistance from locals because of its possible health impact.

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has apparently acted on view of health experts who said that white asbestos in any form could be carcinogenic and as many as 54 countries have banned the asbestos. Kerala too has banned use of asbestos in school buildings.
But the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, which has failed in attracting any investment in the last so many years, allowed the plants as part of its industry-friendly policy.

Jairam Ramesh had banned asbestos laden US ship to come to Alang in Gujarat but the government has failed to declare a national policy on asbestos in absence of a comprehensive scientific study on its impact.

The National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, has been asked to conduct a study on environment and health impacts of asbestos in the work zone and assess its impact on workers and those living in the vicinity. The Institute is yet to submit its report even though officially the ministry has described asbestos as safe.

It needs to be recalled that mining asbestos in India is banned but its use in manufacturing sector is allowed. Most of raw asbestos is imported from Russia and Canada.

Comment

comments...

The environment impact assessment(EIA) of every project should be done with proper interest and responsibility by the SPCBs. Any project should not be cleared in haste. The authorities should keep in mind the high density of the State and vast fertile arable land.

There should be emphasis on establishing chain of cold storages, proper agriculture marketing with focus on fisheries, dairy and allied activities which will in turn provide respectable rural employment at large scale.

This unfortunate incident(police firing) should not have taken place in a state like Bihar as Bihar is showing country the way in everything it does! What Bihar does today the others follow tomorrow !
I hope our so called enlightened leadership ( we are no less enlightened either ) should move beyond these rhetoric and should exhibit some tangible results.

Raj Gayawala

Delhi

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Bihar govt under enlightened leadership should not allow creation of jobs and promise of prosperity in the area by allowing asbestos plant.As described in the article,exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer.In US,there are building norms which disallow use of asbestos and there have been billions of dollars claims against the asbestos companies by their workers and the communities.This is highly unfortunate.There are many ways to create employment .The government should stay focused on infrastructure(Road,power,courts,irrigation etc.),education,law and order and policies and the home grown entrepreneurs will produce employment.It is a very common knowledge that small business creates much more employment then big business .It takes time for the prosperity to kick in this way but this is more sustainable then these plants which will be deadly for the community and the workers.

Deepak Kumar
General Manager , SAP Operations
Momentive Performance Materials