International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
Over the last six months, public opposition has been growing in the eastern Indian State of Bihar over plans for a factory to manufacture asbestos products. Local residents took to the streets en-masse on 10 February in the state capital Patna in a rally coinciding with the group "Citizens Forum Against Asbestos" submitting a memorandum seeking the cancellation of the industrial license given to the proposed factory.
The campaign against the new factory is now pressuring the federal Indian government to offically impose a nationwide ban on the large-scale import of asbestos. Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shifted blame from his administration to the national government. "This factory has received the environmental clearance from the government of India. There should be a uniform policy, and asbestos factories stopped all over the country," he stated.
The campaign against the new factory is now pressuring the federal Indian government to offically impose a nationwide ban on the large-scale import of asbestos. Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shifted blame from his administration to the national government. "This factory has received the environmental clearance from the government of India. There should be a uniform policy, and asbestos factories stopped all over the country," he stated.
Construction at the Balmukund Cement and Roofings Ltd. (BCRL) factory has now been suspended.
While India’s national government has banned the mining of asbestos, it allows trade, manufacture, and use of the mineral, despite proven dangers of inhaling asbestos fibre. World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 90,000 people die of asbestos-related illnesses every year. The White Asbestos Bill is currently pending in the Indian Parliament and awaits further debate. The legislation would ban the use and import of the deadly mineral. Almost half of the imported asbestos into India is mined in Canada.
Inhaling asbestos fibre or dust can result in the painful and eventually fatal condition called mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer. Most patients are poor workers without access to medical care. Asbestos is banned in the European Union, Australia, and Japan.
While India’s national government has banned the mining of asbestos, it allows trade, manufacture, and use of the mineral, despite proven dangers of inhaling asbestos fibre. World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 90,000 people die of asbestos-related illnesses every year. The White Asbestos Bill is currently pending in the Indian Parliament and awaits further debate. The legislation would ban the use and import of the deadly mineral. Almost half of the imported asbestos into India is mined in Canada.
Inhaling asbestos fibre or dust can result in the painful and eventually fatal condition called mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer. Most patients are poor workers without access to medical care. Asbestos is banned in the European Union, Australia, and Japan.
A much-criticised memorandum of understanding was signed on 31 December 2010 between the Board of Trade of Montreal, Canada, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce for the "safe" use of asbestos. The agreement is seen as a clear disregard for the health of Indian workers, as profit-motive is the priority for both groups. The inclusion of a representative of Balcorp Ltd., a major asbestos miner and exporter, in the trade mission to India led by Quebec’s Economic Development Minister earlier this month, has caused much concern for Indian activists.
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