Ramesh Issues Notice To Bihar On New Asbestos Plants
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 31
No. 1,
January 2011
Bihar government has given permission for setting up as many as 12 plants for manufacturing asbestos laden cement roofing sheets, whose demand has increase phenomenally in Bihar in recent years.
The plants based on Chrysotile - the chemical name for white asbestos, which accounts for more than 95% of the present world trade in asbestos - has resulted in stiff resistance from locals because of its possible health impact.
While the locals have been petitioning environment minister Jairam Ramesh since May 2010, he 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 among Indian states, Kerala has banned use of asbestos in school buildings. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhanc, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
