Unlikely Saviours Visit Toxic Alang Beach

Despite IMO’s lip service Alang remains a widow maker

Sans any civil society or trade union representative, a 20 member delegation of UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) visited ship breaking recycling yard at Alang, Bhavnagar on 25 February, 2009 under the supervision of the shipbreakers and Indian officials to take stock of the ongoing contamination of the Alang beach and its adverse impact on environmental and occupational health. Oblivious of the reports suggesting how four out of five workers in Alang suffer from serious chemical hazards, IMO is preparing an international treaty on ship breaking that seeks to manitain a status quo in order to pander to the interests of the shipping industry.

Industry representatives painted a rosy picture of the Alang yard before IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) even as the shipbreakers and the Gujarat Maritime Board continue their embrago on both national and international media which stops journalists and researchers from entering the Alang yards to ascertain for themselves as to whether or not there is any improvement in the “grave yards” of Alang. The current paper works do not provide any hope of minimizing human health cost of migrant and casual workers from Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Orissa. Alang has earned a reputation of being a widow maker and mere lip service by IMO cannot alter it.

The delegation paid a stage managed visit to the heavily contaminated beaches of Alang. They were misled by Leela ship breaking company and the Implementation Officer, marine environment division, IMO to desist from undertaking any remediation of the Alang’s marine environment. The team was shown a mythical state of art technique of removal of asbestos containing material from ship’s parts and pipes in negative pressure chamber. The delegation comprised of members from Bank of International Settlement Convention Secretariat, International Labour Organisation, World Bank and European Commission and belong to countries like Greece, Japan, UK, France, Denmark, Norway, USA, Germany, Bulgaria and New Zealand.

Communities living in the vicinity of Alang are demanding that IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) must ensure decontamination of the beaches and suggest a phase out period for the industry to move away from a fragile coastal environment like Alang beach in order to protect the health of the local community and their ecosystem. The wrongful act of having polluted and contaminated Alang beach in an era when there was no environmental sensitivity must be undone. MEPC’s failure to address this problem and allow status quo will defeat the very purpose for which the committee has been constituted. Protection of the marine environment of Alang is the fundamental reason for MEPC’s existence.

Even as more than 90 ships are langusinging and are illegally beached in Alang, a comprehensive Code on Ship Recycling Regulations is still under preparation as per the order of the Supreme Court. The apex court appoited Inter-Ministerial Committee on Shipbreaking under Union Ministry of Steel has already circulated the draft to all stakeholders for comments.

What is very status quoist is the manner in which Alang beach is allowed to be contaminated just because the shipbreaking activity commenced in 1983 in the pre-Environment Protection Act, 1986 era. The shipbreaking activity to be truly sustainable must be taken off the beach and the Alang beach must be remediated and restored for posterity as is done in the developed world. The current practice of beaching method seems economically viable due to cost externalization of pollustion and adverse health impact.

The proposed convention fails to address the four fatal flaws of the beaching method for ship breaking: cranes cannot be placed alongside ship, lack of access by emergency vehicles and equipment, no possibility for containment and coastal zone, intertidal zone is environmentally sensitive and managing hazardous wastes in the intertidal zone can never be environmentally sound.

In the Indian context, officials who are negotiating at the IMO level have so far failed to communicate categorically to the Marine Environment Protection Committee of IMO that their Ship Recycling Convention so far does not meet the bar of equivalent level of control and we cannot accept a step backwards. Environmental health, Labour and human groups have been demanding remediation of Alang beach of its toxic contamination because of ship-breaking activity to retrieve and protect the fragile coastal environmental and public health of communities and their livelihoods.

While European Union has implemented Basel ban and apply it on ships meant for scrapping under EU Waste Shipment Regulation of the European Parliament but implementation of the regulation has not been effective in regulating ship going for recycling under the pretext of trading/repairs. This loophole must be plugged to stop secret sales. It is not clear in such cases as to who is the exporting country; whether the country where the ship is registered or whether the country where the ship owning company is registered or whether the country where the ship management company is registered. Making the consent of exporting and importing countries mandatory for such sales will help to plug this loophole.

It is beginning to appear that instead of trying to get their regulation accepted by IMO, EU is under tremendous pressure from its shipping industry and ship owners to get rid of its own regulation by allowing it to be superceded by the proposed IMO Convention.

It is noteworthy that prior to their visit Directorate General of Shipping organised a two day workshop (23-24 February, 2009) in Mumbai for them and the representatives of Gujarat Maritime Board, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Ship Breakers' Associations, DG Shipping, Ship Owners' Association, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Labor and Central Pollution Control Board.

The industry in its submission has contended that all hazardous materials which are not required for final voyage be removed before proceeding on the final voyage to the recycling yard. The roles and responsibility of Cash Buyers of the ships must be adequately revealed and their corporate veil must be pierced. Most of the ship owners are one ship companies and registered in tax haven states and flags of convenience. Most of the ship owners become untraceable after sale and delivery of the ship. Identification and registration of ship owner should be mandatory which shall also include temporary ship owners. Providing name and address of signatories of all documents must be made mandatory.

While no trade union or civil society representative participated in the workshop, interestingly, at the workshop the Indian shipbreaking industry revealed that it is requesting Government of India government not to ratify the proposed international treaty on shipbreaking/ship recycling because the draft IMO treaty has been prepared under the influence of the ship owners and ship owning countries designed to transfer the obligation of observing the entire regulations on ship recycling countries. The Indian industry feels that the role of IMO be restricted till the ship remains a ship or a floating structure. Once it is no more a floating structure, the role of IMO should cease. Working at the yard should be addressed by ILO while handling of hazardous waste should be based on Basel Convention norms. It is critical of the treaty because it does not assign definite role to ship owners, builders, classification societies or suppliers. The only role prescribed for ship owners is to submit the inventory of hazardous materials. It does not prescribe remedy or precautions to be taken against environment damage resulting from ship recycling operations particularly of oil seepage.

Indeed if one compares the draft IMO treaty and the Indian regulations it is clear that the former is quite regressive and not foward looking. Indian regulation which does not permit ships meant dismantling without gas-free for hot work and does not exclude war ships and government vessels. The relaxation on these two issues in IMO regulations will act as a loophole to divert ships for recycling from regulated countries to non-regulated countries.

Last year too, a IMO team visited the same plot no 2 of Leela shipbreaking company besides Plot No 79 of Shree Ram Vessel Pvt Ltd and Plot No 13 of M/s Baijnath Melaram Ship Breakers in Alang and Directorate General of Shipping conducted a workshop in January 2008 for them. There seems something amiss about the intimacy between GMB, Leela ship ship breaking company and some of the IMO officials visiting India.

Unmindful of Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order till date there is no registration of workers and there is no record of their occupational health status, non-complaince with the apex court’s direction with regard to prior decontamination of hazardous materials and wastes in the country of export is quite manifest. Notably, the proposed Convention does not include these directions that are mandatory for the protection ofenvironmental and occupational health. Biodiversity of the Alang’s marine environment and adverse impact on its ecological status has not been factored in the ongoing shipbreaking activity.

Gujarat Maritime Board has conistently misled the apex court, inspection teams and international observers by contending that “there is no pollution level increased in last few years, this means that even if activities of ship recycling are increased over last 10 years, there is no threat on local biodiversity as supported by GPCB. GMB in turn explained that due to high tide, strong current and high turbidity do not support primary life systems at Alang.”

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More than 140 countries agree to crack down on mercury pollution

United Nations (PTI): In a major breakthrough propelled by a dramatic shift in the US policy, more than 140 countries, including India and China, have agreed to launch a global crackdown against pollution of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that poses serious risk to human health and environment.

The landmark decision was taken by environment ministers at the end of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council meeting in Nairobi in Kenya on Friday, overcoming seven years of obstacles.

Governments of over 140 countries unanimously decided to launch negotiations on a legally-binding global mercury treaty to deal with world-wide emissions and discharges of a pollutant that threatens the health of millions, from foetuses and babies to small-scale gold miners and their families.

They also agreed that the risk to human health and the environment from mercury pollution was so significant that accelerated action under a voluntary Global Mercury Partnership is needed whilst the treaty is being finalised, the UNEP said.

The key factor enabling ministers to agree to a way forward has been the willingness of the new US administration led by President Barack Obama to back the treaty.

In his address to the Council earlier, US delegate Daniel Reifsnyder, said mercury was the "most important global chemical issue facing us today", and required "immediate action". He said that only international coordination could address the problem.

The previous Bush administration had steadfastly opposed legally-binding measures to control mercury.

India and China, which were also earlier opposed to legally-binding measures, lifted their resistance to a global mercury treaty at the meeting, raising hopes for progress later this year at the crucial UN meeting in Copenhagen on an international climate change deal.

During the meeting in the Kenyan capital, the ministers agreed to an eight-point interim plan to help curb pollution while awaiting the full treaty.

The eight-point partnership plan included -- boosting the world-wide capability for nations to safely store stockpiled mercury; reducing the supply of mercury from, for example, primary mining of the heavy metal; carrying out awareness raising of the risks alongside projects to cut the use of mercury in artisanal mining where an estimated 10 million miners and their families are exposed.

Other points were reducing mercury in products such as thermometers and high-intensity discharge lamps to processes such as some kinds of paper-making and plastics production.

"UNEP has, for some seven years, coordinated and contributed to an intense scientific and policy debate on how best to deal with the issue of mercury. Today the world's environment ministers, armed with the full facts and full choices, decided the time for talking was over - the time for action on this pollution is now," Achim Steiner, UN Under- Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said.

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Text of the Ganga River Basin Authority Notification

TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART II, SECTION 3, SUB-SECTION (ii)

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 20th February, 2009

S.O.521 (E).– Whereas the river Ganga is of unique importance ascribed to reasons that are geographical, historical, socio-cultural and economic giving it the status of a national river;

And whereas the river Ganga has been facing serious threat due to discharge of increasing quantities of sewage effluents, trade effluents and other pollutants on account of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation;

And whereas the demand for river water is growing for irrigation, drinking purposes, industrial use and power due to increase in population, urbanisation, industrialisation and growth in infrastructure, and taking into account the need to meet competing demands;

And whereas there is urgent need,-
(a) to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management; and

(b) to maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development;

And whereas it is required to have a planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for strengthening the collective efforts of the Central and the State Governments for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), the Central Government hereby constitutes the Authority mentioned below for taking measures for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.
1. Name of the Authority.– The Authority so constituted by the Central Government shall be known as the ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority’ (hereinafter referred to as the Authority).

2. Headquarters of the Authority.– The headquarters of the Authority shall be at New Delhi.

3. Composition of the Authority.– The Authority shall consist of the following members, namely:-

(a)Prime Minister - ex officio Chairperson
(b)Union Minister, Environment and Forests - ex officio Member
(c)Union Minister, Finance - ex officio Member
(d)Union Minister, Urban Development - ex officio Member
(e)Union Minister, Water Resources - ex officio Member
(f)Union Minister, Power - ex officio Member
(g)Union Minister, Science and Technology - ex officio Member
(h)Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission - ex officio Member
(i)Chief Minister, Uttarakhand - ex officio Member
(j)Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh - ex officio Member
(k)Chief Minister, Bihar - ex officio Member
(l)Chief Minister, Jharkhand - ex officio Member
(m)Chief Minister, West Bengal - ex officio Member
(n)Minister of State, Environment and Forests- ex officio Member
(o)Secretary, Union Ministry of - ex officio Member-Secretary:
Environment and Forests

Provided that the Authority may co-opt one or more Chief Ministers from any of the States having major tributaries of the river Ganga, which are likely to affect the water quality in the river Ganga, as ex officio Member;

Provided further that the Authority may also co-opt one or more Union Ministers as may be required, as ex officio Member;
Provided also that the Authority may also co-opt upto five members who are experts in the fields of river conservation, hydrology, environmental engineering, social mobilization and such other fields.

4. Powers and Functions of the Authority.– (1) Subject to the provisions of the said Act, the Authority shall have the power to take all such measures and discharge functions as it deems necessary or expedient for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga in keeping with sustainable development needs.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-paragraph (1), such measures may include measures with respect to all or any of the following matters, namely: -

(a) development of river basin management plan and regulation of activities aimed at the prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga to maintain its water quality, and to take such other measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga Basin States;

(b) maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development;

(c) measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the river Ganga including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment, protection of flood plains, creating public awareness and such other measures for promoting environmentally sustainable river conservation;

(d) collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in the river Ganga;

(e) investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of the river Ganga;

(f) creation of special purpose vehicles, as appropriate, for implementation of works vested with the Authority;

(g) promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rain water harvesting, and decentralised sewage treatment systems;

(h) monitoring and review of the implementation of various programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the river Ganga; and

(i) issuance of directions under section 5 of the said Act for the purpose of exercising and performing all or any of the above functions and to take such other measures as the Authority deems necessary or expedient for achievement of its objectives.

(3) The powers and functions of the Authority shall be without prejudice to any of the powers conferred upon the States under any Central or State Act, being not inconsistent with the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986).

(4) The Authority shall combine regulatory and developmental functions as stated in sub-paragraphs (1) & (2), keeping in view the powers vested with the State Governments and their institutions.

5. Meetings of the Authority.– The Authority may regulate its own procedures for transacting its business including its meetings.

6. Jurisdiction of the Authority.– The jurisdiction of the Authority shall extend to the States through which the river Ganga flows, namely, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal and such other States, having major tributaries of the river Ganga, as the Authority may decide for the purpose of effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.

7. Monitoring of effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga.– The Authority may evolve its own mechanism for monitoring of effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga and issue directions thereof under section 5 of the said Act for the said purpose.

8. Corpus of the Authority.– There shall be a corpus of funds provided by the Central Government for implementing such projects, programmes and other activities as may be decided by the Authority.

9. Administrative and technical support to the Authority.– The Authority shall be provided administrative and technical support by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which shall be the nodal Ministry. The Authority may evolve an appropriate mechanism for implementation of its decisions.

10. Constitution of State River Conservation Authorities.– The State Governments concerned may constitute a State Ganga River Conservation Authority under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister with such composition and such powers as deemed fit for coordinating and implementing the river conservation activities at the State level.

11. Comprehensive management in the State.– Based on the integrated basin management plan drawn by the National Ganga River Basin Authority, the State Governments shall take steps for comprehensive management of the river in the State through their respective Authorities.


(Rajiv Gauba)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India
(No.A-12011/17/2008-NRCD-II)

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Ganga river basin authority notification

Ganga river basin authority notification

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the notification for setting up the Ganga River Basin Authority for comprehensive management of the basin on February 17th, 2009

The framework for the proposed authority was finalised at a meeting chaired by T.K.A. Nair, the principal secretary to the prime minister, with the chief secretaries of the Ganga Basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. West Bengal was represented by its principal secretary, department of environment.

"The five states unanimously endorsed the proposal, based on which the ministry of environment and forests will issue the notification under the Environment Protection Act," said a release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The setting up of the authority will help replace the current piecemeal efforts to clean up the Ganga with an integrated approach that sees the river as an ecological entity.

This will also help address issues of quantity in terms of water flows. The authority chaired by the prime minister will consist of the chief ministers of the Ganga basin states as members along with related ministers of the central government.


Ganga basin Authority notification discussed

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's meeting which decided to declare the River Ganga a national river a meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister today discussed the framework for the proposed Ganga River Basin Authority. The State Governments of basin states generally endorsed the key features of the draft notification for comprehensive planning for the river. The Ganga River Basin Authority is to be chaired by the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers of the five Ganga Basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as members. It will also have the Union Ministers of Environment and Forests, Finance, Urban Development, Water Resources, Power, Science and Technology and Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission as members.

A draft notification proposing to constitute the Authority under section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 was discussed, at the meeting. The State Governments agreed to give comments within one week. The draft notification discussed at the meeting clarifies that the proposed body would not be a separate additional clearance mechanism but would focus itself on planning for the river as a totality and address pollution abatement measures through ensuring adequate ecological flow in the river and specific interventions for sewerage treatment. At the meeting it was agreed to finalise the notification within the next few days.

February 10, 2009
PIB
Prime Minister's Office

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Chandigarh Garbage disposal plant mired in controversy

Note: The article, despite its clear anti-poor bias, makes it very clear that the incinerator is in conflict with recycling systems. It blames the wastepickers for recycling materials which the incinerator needs to burn, in order to maintain a high calorific value of the waste. Instead, the writers should have asked why a facility was built which is inappropriate for the post-wastepicker stream. In fact, the answer to that question is: because then we wouldn't need an incinerator. Composting would be a much better solution for the wet, organic waste. Instead, the plant has imported expensive machinery (and no doubt, very energy-intensive machinery) to dry the food waste so that it will burn. Ridiculous!

Neil Tangri

Garbage disposal plant mired in controversy

The country’s first of its kind garbage-disposal plant turning waste into fluffs for cement plants appears to be struggling to run to its potential, courtesy moisture level and inadequate quantity of the raw material. But, authorities associated with the project countering the allegations say it is operating as per the requirements.

Rag pickers take away the quality waste leaving high-moisture content green waste requiring a special machine to be imported from Germany at a very heavy cost to handle the situation, coordinator of the private company attached with the plant, PP Sinha told TOI during a visit to the facility.

This is the first plant in the country that has a machine to dry the waste unlike in Hyderabad. The culprits are rag-pickers and to an extent caretakers at the sahaj safai kendras who fail to guard the waste for the company to use, he added.

Already facing rag pickers’ onslaught, the plant has also not been able to win the hearts of councillors who even allege that it has not been functioning regularly and not making pellets since its inauguration in May 21, 2008, when Congress councillors boycotted the ceremony due to political reasons.

Admitting that the company has not yet been able to make pallets as its cement plant in Himachal Pradesh has not yet been operational, Sinha said according to the agreement, the company is making fluffs and supplying it to a different private cement plant in Ropar.

Sinha further said, “According to the MOU, our stipulated period of completion of project was December 2008 but we could start operations in May itself ahead of the schedule. Only the dryer, a new component considering conditions unlike in Germany, was brought in January this year.”

The plant is now accepting 150-200 tons garbage and producing 30 ton Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). He further said, “In coming three to four months, we would collect the entire garbage generated in the city that is around 350 to 400 tons per day and produce around 60 tons RDF per day.”

Meanwhile, though a few senior councillors have recorded their appreciation for the project in the comments books kept at the site, they, however, accuse the company and municipal officials of colluding to let the company have its way.

Brushing aside these accusations, Brig RS Sahota, vice president of company and unit in-charge of this plant, said, “We are doing everything in a fair way and the administration is constantly visiting the plant. Besides, a special monitoring committee having the officials of the UT administration’s environment wing and that of the MC has been constantly monitoring the plant and is satisfied with its functioning.”

Echoing his statements, commissioner Roshan Sunkaria said, “The plant is accepting around 200 tons garbage per day and everything is going in the right way.”

Deepak Yadav
19 Feb 2009
The Times of India

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Corporate Environmentalism

Note; Automobile industry and its myopic profit mongering is one of the root causes of the current ecological crisis. Using its corporate funding for political parties, it has attempted to kill public transport and ensured that pedestrians do not have the right to exist and be alive.

Prior to Greenathon of NDTV, TERI TOYOTA, sometime back Doordarshan had a programme wherein it said Global Warming means Sulagata Brahmand (Burning Universe). Doordarshan anchor introduced R K Pachauri is a Noble laureate and his organisation The Energy Research Institute (TERI)has been awarded Noble Peace Prize at a special programme on Global Warming. Sunit Tandon and editor of India Live were anchoring
the programme. Anchors and all the panelists were seen dying to demonstrate their agreement and pay obeisance to Pachauri, who is accused of being an environmentalist by corporate media.

One is amused to note the manner in which NDTV chose to follow the footsteps of Doordarshan. Even the content analysis of TERI's work published in media and Pachauri's role can illustrate that TERI has consistently been against environmental health. Remember the CNG debate, it was opposed to CNG. Most recently it is in favour of Commonwealth Games Village in the riverbed of Yamuna. It feels the
Village is more important than Yamuna. TERI has proposed solutions like "a major expansion in nuclear power, use of GM crops to boost biofuel production, and reliance on unproven technologies" to mitigate adverse climate change. The remedies suggested are worse than the disease.

Such solutions have put likes of TERI on a collision course with those who argue that simply replacing one set of technologies with another set of technologies won't work. Nuclear reactors are dangerous and land clearance and chemical pesticides and fertilisers used to grow fuel crops can cause huge environmental damage. Pachauri is also a known supporter of Interlinking of Rivers project involving massive
land use change-a listed cause of climate change as per Kyoto Protocol.

It is shocking to note that Pachauri headed TERI is advising the Government of India to undertake polluting incineration technology based municipal waste to energy projects that has failed in US and Europe. Rationalising the same, he says, The stress is on India because we are a developing nation so we need energy more. But
developed countries shouldn't be pointing fingers at us because they have done their bit to pollute the environment. So they should set their own house in order first. TERI in its study done for Indian Environment Ministry estimates that municipal solid waste to energy projects have the largest potential of around $400,000 every year.

In fact TERI itself in one of its other studies on solid waste management in India has pointed out that the techno-economic feasibility of such projects is not established. Therefore, their recommendation to undertake the same is baffling given the fact that waste incineration is mentioned in the annexure A of the Protocol as a
source of green house gas emissions. Although by now it is fairly well known that carbon trade does not alleviate poverty, Pachauri remains a votary of this trade in the name of poor.

It must be remembered that Pachauri, an Indian engineer and an economist had replaced Robert Watson, a US atmospheric scientist in 2002 as the Chairman of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Watson has been the chairman of IPCC since 1996. Pachauri received 76 votes as a result of George Bush administration's reported campaign against Watson who got only 49 votes. At the behest of fossil fuel
lobby, the US campaign worked on a strategy for Watson's removal to ensure industry friendly officials at IPCC. The world's biggest oil company, Exxon-Mobil among others had proposed this strategy in liaison with oil producing countries like Saudi Arabia. His industry friendly approach manifested itself in all the seminars,
conferences and workshops he organized either as IPCC or TERI by taking sponsorship from all those corporations who are known for heinous corporate crimes. When the Indian Ministry of Water Resources Resolution dated 24 February, 2003, made him a member of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers project constituted with a view to
bringing about a consensus among the states, it became evident that he
represents corporate interest and not the public interest that has rejected the mega project. A December 2002 resolution of Government of India has presented it as a panacea of all water problems that cannot be questioned.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited in his speech Transforming India Towards a New Development Model said, We can converge civil engineering and agriculture to build a trans-India water resources system. This can be done by linking rivers on an unprecedented scale. It can result in adequate water resources for agriculture, particularly to put marginal land to
productive use and benefit marginal farmers. He was speaking at the sixth Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture organized by TERI.

Pachauri, TERI, Ambani and others who support the ecologically disastrous networking of rivers project ignore the way it would contribute to global warming by replumbing of the earth and rewriting of geography. Among other environmentally destructive consequences, it is noteworthy that Prof V. Rajamani of Jawaharlal Nehru University had brought out consequences of the proposed project on the South West monsoon. Unmindful of the fact that one of the major outcomes of development is water-scarcity, according to Pachauri this mega project would flood proof and drought proof the country, improve agriculture through canal irrigation, provide alternative transport, additional electricity, higher GDP growth, employment etc. What he does not pay attention to is that these projects cause near total removal of suspended sediment load from the stream flow, which would otherwise get deposited on land through flooding. Consequently, irrigation water would become nutrient depleted and this would necessitate the extensive use of chemical fertilizers for agriculture.

Connecting the rivers is an engineer's dream but Pachauri chooses to remain oblivious of massive human displacement, disappearance of villages, water logging of millions of hectares of agricultural land for the benefit of contractors, engineers and industrialists. According to a report of earth scientists, The benefits of the monsoon rainfall to the entire ecology of India as well as to the human-centric economy need no reiteration. The adverse effects of reduced run-off to the Bay of Bengal because of river linkages appear to be real. This report was co-authored by earth scientists such as Prof. Rajamani, U. C. Mohanty, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, R. Ramesh, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, G. S. Bhat, P. N. Vinayachandran and D. Sengupta, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; Prasanna Kumar, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, and R. K. Kolli, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and published in Current Science.

Pachauri does not take into cognizance several ecological and social consequences. If only little water is returned to the oceans because of interlinking of rivers, there are at least two major consequences. Marine life is deprived of nutrient supply and marine productivity is adversely affected. If the monsoon system from the Bay of Bengal slowly shuts itself off on a decadal or a century scale in the event
of land-water not reaching the sea, then rivers on the Indian continent may not exist to sustain their linkages.

Is it believable that likes of Pachauri and TERI do not know about these grave ramifications of their megalomania-a psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, genius, or omnipotence?

Gopal Krishna

Go green or smoke screen?
Is it logical to have the leader in one of the most polluting industries in the
world as a sponsor for an environmental campaign? ANAND BALA has a problem with
NDTV’s choice of a partner for its green initative.

The choice of Toyota as a sponsor for the NDTV Greenathon, was conspicuous. The
automobile industry in not the cleanest of industries when it comes to the
environment and Toyota produces a lot of diesel fumes in India.

Before I get into that, I would like to congratulate NDTV on roping in such a
large number of celebrities for such a noble cause. I hope that some these
celebrities decide to give up on their SUVs and settle for less polluting modes
of transport (even if it has four wheels). NDTV has kindled something positive.
Thank you.

I am sure when the pundits at NDTV debated the choice of Toyota and it must have
crossed their minds that it does not make logical sense to have the leader in
one of the most polluting industries in the world as a sponsor to an
environmental campaign. They must have come across reasons(s) above and over the
sponsorship fee. I am hoping they will be able to share those reasons at some
stage. I am not too sure if this was a CSR initiative of NDTV. If it was I think
it raises a few questions.

Fact: Toyota is the world's largest auto maker.

News reports in late December and early January indicate that Toyota is the
world's largest automobile producer with over 8.9 million units produced in
2008. The silver lining is that this was a dip of about 4% compared to the same
period last year. These figures (other than the decline) cannot have a positive
impact on the environment. Let us do some math with this number of 8.9 million
units. If we were to get very conservative with this number (assume all these
cars are small cars, they all run on petrol, they all clock less than 10,000 KM
a year and they sold only 8 million cars) – we would need to plant 96 million
trees a year to offset the carbon emissions! (This is a global figure)

Fact: Toyota sells/has sold a lot of diesel engines in India.

Japan (the home country of Toyota) has a ban on diesel cars in some urban
centres. This is in an effort to reduce rising pollution levels. Some Indian
cities have made attempts to ban diesel cars but this has not yet happened.

There are over 160,000 Innova vehicles on the road. The vast majority of which
(to my understanding) run on Diesel. Let us assume that they have sold 100,000
diesel cars, each clocking up approximately 15,000KM/year (conservative again as
many Innova vehicles are taxis). We would need about 1.7 million trees to offset
the carbon footprint of the Diesel Innovas! This excludes the Qualis (now out of
production) and petrol variants of the Innova. If Toyota wants to make a profit
out of India they should (at the very least) plant about 5 million trees a year
to offset emissions from all their models and past sales.

Pundits will argue with me on the assumptions that I have used to arrive at
these numbers. In my defense, these numbers are about as conservative as you can
get and if we were to sit down and make these calculations the number of trees
required would be much higher than 5 million in India and 96 million globally
for Toyota. I have been very generous is selecting the footprint calculators on
the net and have discounted some of the results as well.

I believe that Toyota chose to sponsor NDTV because it felt it was a great
Corporate Social Responsibility vehicle. Toyota, like any other company that has
ever been in India, has the right to advertise and engage with the media. The
onus of taking a position and choosing the right company as a sponsor should be
with the media. Will NDTV be willing to run a researched piece on the number of
trees required to offset the total number of cars that Toyota has produced over
the years?

Toyota has a green image. That image however has more to do with environmental
norms for cars in Japan than with anything else. Their hybrid models are
available in certain countries and hopefully will make an entry into India
someday soon. If they were truly green – they would have phased out diesel
engines on their cars. Unfortunately, hybrids are still polluting. The
electricity that we use for these cars still needs to come from a thermal power
plant or hydro-electric plant (read as large dam). Both these have an
environmental cost. The question about cars is not about how clean they can get,
but about how we can take them off the roads and substitute them with mass
public transport.

Toyota is trying to be green. Good for them. They need to be told that they are
doing what is expected of them (the bare minimum). Anybody who produces millions
of vehicles should not be cast as an environmental champion, particularly by the
media.

To end, let me give a rather extreme analogy. Dow Chemicals has a lot of CSR
initiatives. But the Indian media would hesitate to engage with them because
they manufacture hazardous chemicals and companies under their control have a
disastrous environmental track record (especially in India). Should they be
considered "green company”?

I would venture to say that cars are a big issue when it comes to pollution and
we need to be careful when we paint their manufacturers as champions of the
environmental cause.

The Hoot

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Kosi High Dam Multipurpose Project DPR preparation underway

Kosi High Dam Multipurpose Project DPR preparation underway

The Government of India is in constant dialogue with the Government of Nepal. For early implementation of high dams on river Kosi, Kamla and Bagmati in Nepal.

For this purpose, a Joint Project Office -Saptakosi and Sunkosi Investigations (JPO-SKSKI) has already been set up in August, 2004 at Biratnagar (Nepal), for conducting detailed field investigations, in order to prepare Detailed Project Report(s) of Sapta Kosi High Dam Multipurpose Project and Sun Kosi Storage-cum-Diversion Scheme in Nepal, jointly.

In addition, JPO-SKSKI has also been entrusted the task of carrying out the Feasibility Level Study of Kamala Multipurpose (Dam) Project and the Preliminary Study of Bagmati Dam Project in Nepal.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by Moinul Hassan in the Rajya Sabha.

February 17, 2009
Ministry of Water Resources

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Obama Shifts U.S. Policy to Back Global Mercury Control Treaty

*NAIROBI, Kenya*, February 16, 2009 (ENS) - The Obama administration has reversed the former U.S. position on limiting mercury pollution worldwide. Before astonished environment ministers attending the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council opening session in Nairobi today, the U.S. delegation endorsed negotiations for a new global treaty to control mercury pollution, to begin this year.

The Bush administration had opposed legally binding measures to control mercury, despite broad support among a majority of countries in the UNEP Governing Council.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the mercury policy framework is the result of seven years of intense discussions spearheaded by UNEP represents the first, coordinated global effort to tackle mercury pollution.

*Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki* and UNEP Executive Director
Achim Steiner share a smile on their way to the opening
session of the UNEP Governing Council today in Nairobi. (Photo
courtesy Earth Negotiations Bulletin )

"It covers reducing demand in products and processes - such as high intensity discharge vehicle lamps and the chlor-alkali industry - to cutting mercury in international trade," Steiner said. "Other elements include reducing emissions to the atmosphere, environmentally-sound storage of stockpiled mercury and the cleaning-up of contaminated sites."

The nervous systems of humans and wildlife are very sensitive to all forms of mercury. Exposure to high levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, lungs, and developing fetus. Effects on brain functioning may result in irritability, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that mercuric chloride and methylmercury are possible human carcinogens.

Among the 120 other countries that have expressed support for a legally binding agreement on mercury are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland and Uruguay.

Environmental groups from the United States and around the world applauded the U.S. policy change.

"The Obama administration has clearly shown a new day has dawned for U.S. leadership and engagement with the rest of the world," said Michael Bender, director of the U.S.-based Mercury Policy Project, and a coordinator of the international Zero Mercury Working Group. "And the momentum created by the U.S. appears to be galvanizing other governments around the world to step up to address the global mercury crisis."

Mercury poisoning affects about five million American women. One study in the United States has found that about one in 12 women have mercury levels above the level considered safe by the U.S. EPA.

"Skeptics doubted that the U.S. position on mercury could change so quickly, but the Obama administration made it happen in record time," said Susan Egan Keane of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "They've shown that Obama is serious about a new approach of cooperation and collaboration, rather than obstruction and unilateral action, on the international stage."

The Harrison power plant in West Virginia burns bituminous
coal, emitting mercury into the air.

Mercury is a persistent, bioaccumulative, transboundary pollutant that contaminates air, soil, water and fish. Of the 6,000 metric tonnes of mercury entering the environment annually, some 2,000 tonnes comes from coal-fired power stations and coal fires in homes, says Steiner. Once in the atmosphere or released down river systems, the toxin can travel for thousands of miles.

There are also growing worries that, as climate change melts the Arctic, mercury trapped in the ice and sediments is being re-released back into the oceans and into the food chain.

"Because of this potential for global contamination, mercury pollution requires a coordinated international response, including a legally-binding treaty on mercury," said Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, project coordinator of the Zero Mercury Campaign at the European Environmental Bureau. This coalition includes 143 member organizations in 31 European countries.

Eating advisories relating to fish consumption remain in place in many European countries warning those at risk including pregnant mothers and babies not to consume fish at the top of the food chain that concentrate mercury from all the smaller fish they have eaten.

In Sweden, for example around 50,000 lakes have pike with mercury levels exceeding international health limits. Women of child-bearing years are advised not to eat pike, perch, burbot and eel at all, and the rest of the population only once a week.

The UNEP mercury policy framework has the support of 53 countries in Africa.

Rico Euripidou of groundWork, Friends of the Earth, South Africa believes that "a comprehensive solution to address mercury will directly benefit Africa through the control of unregulated and uncontrolled flows of mercury onto the continent."

Scientists and the NGO Sharkproject are also now flagging yet another cause for concern - the increased consumption of shark meat in some parts of the world. By some estimates shark meat contains up to 40 times more mercury than recommended food safety limits and perhaps a great deal more, said Steiner.

Mercury levels in Arctic ringed seals and beluga whales have increased by up to four times over the last 25 years in some areas of Canada and Greenland with implications for communities where marine mammals are eaten.

Steiner says the good news is that both Europe and the United States have in recent months backed export bans on mercury with the European Union setting a date of 2011.

The U.S. delegation's proposal on mercury requests the UNEP Executive Director to conduct, concurrent with the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, a study to inventory facilities in sectors including coal-fired power plants, cement production, and non-ferrous metals mining and production in major mercury-emitting countries.

"For all sectors, but especially coal-combustion, the study should include analysis of the levels of existing emissions controls, and the potential to achieve further mercury emission reductions," the U.S. proposal states.

"The study should also assess the costs and effectiveness of alternative control strategies, considering mercury-specific controls, and reductions that can be achieved as a co-benefit from conventional pollution control measures as well as the relationship with actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the U.S. proposes.

The U.S. requests that the report be prepared to inform the work of the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, and that the Executive Director report the findings of the study at the 2010 UNEP Global Ministerial Environment Forum.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-16-02.asp

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No interlinking of rivers project under implementation

Note: Now it is clear that it was the recommendation of the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to set up National Commission for Basin management that inspired the Prime Minister's Office to announce Ganga River Basin approach.

Based on studies, the NCAER has estimated that the cost of the interlinking of rivers (diversion of rivers) project would be Rs 4.44 lakh crore (at 2003-4 price). One wonders whether or not NCAER has included the cost of environment destruction or has remained consistent by externalizing the cost of ecological collapse like Aral Sea.

In the foreword to this 135 page study, Suman K. Bery, Director General, NCAER notes, "Impact of increased irrigation intensity and hydro electric power generation is considered while evaluating the impacts. Economic impact of certain benefits such as mitigation of drought and floods to a certain extent, increased revenue/income from fishing, picnic site and amusement park are not taken into consideration."

The NCAER is of the view that the programme would take nearly 35-40 years. NCAER was asked to study the "Economic Impact of Inter-linking of Rivers Programme" The abstract of its study reads, "River interlinking is a major programme endeavour to create additional storage facilities and move water from watersurplus regions to drought-prone ones through inter-basin transfers. It is expected to provide additional irrigation in about 35 million hectare".

The study team included Devendra Kumar Pant (Project Leader), S. K. N. Nair, Khursheed Anwar Siddiqui, Poonam Munjal, Mrinalini Kaur Sapra, Nupur Pande, Tara Rawat and Prabuddha Ghosh. Project Review Committee comprised of Bery and Hari K. Nagarajan.

The study submits, "Construction of storage dams in India is indispensable for conservation of excess monsoon flows to meet the growing demand for water. Till date, a total of about 174 BCM of built-up storage had been created. However, total built-up storage created in India is not big in comparison to the built-up storage capacities created in other parts of the World. Kariba dam in Zimbabwe and Aswan dam in Egypt has a storage capacity of 180.6 BCM and 168.9 BCM of water respectively. The interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme is a major endeavour to create additional storage facilities and transfer water from water-surplus regions to more drought-prone areas through inter-basin transfers. Surplus water transfer is hypothesised both at intra- and inter-basin levels. It is expected to provide additional irrigation in about 30 million hectares and net power generation capacity of about 20,000 to 25,000 MW."

It argues that "Globally, there are a number of examples of inter-basin transfers: the US transfers 45 BCM this way and has plans to add 376 BCM; China has a scheme under implementation, which will transfer about 48 BCM" and cites the experience of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGCP), Colorado River Canal System and Three Gorges Dam are some projects in India and World who confirms this. Irrigation is a crucial input for agriculture growth.

Although myths such as "The Bhakra dam enabled Punjab and Haryana to register faster growth and reduce poverty substantially" has been exposed, the study seems to remain caught in a time warp.

NCAER study notes that tThe cost of the overall ILR programme has been estimated by the task force/NWDA as Rs 5,60,000 crore at 2002-03 prices. This estimate suffers from two infirmities. First, the cost of 30 links has been taken, whereas there are only 29 links. Jogigopa–Tista–Farakka (JTF) is an alternative link to Manas–Sankosh–Tista–Ganga (MSTG) and only one of these two links will be constructed. Therefore, new aggregated cost of entire programme with MSTG link is pitched at Rs 4.44 lakh crore (at 2003-4 price). This estimate too is admittedly based on 10 years time horizon!

The study disputes the Supreme Court suggestion of completing the interlinking of rivers by 2016 for completion of project and admits by citing inter-state political issues and agreement between states and neighbouring countries that was completely ignored by the court and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources. It is high time all arms of the government resisted the might of industry bodies like FICCI that are bulldozing the mega project down the nation throat and did some introspection to invest their imagination to more doable initiatives.

Gopal Krishna
Web: toxicswatch.blogspot.com

Study on Inter-Linking of Rivers’ Programme

RAJYA SABHA

National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has conducted a study on the economic impact of inter-linking of rivers’ programme and submitted its report in April, 2008. The conclusions/ recommendations given by NCAER in its report mention various benefits of Interlinking of river programme such as additional benefits of irrigation & Power, increase in growth rate of agriculture, growth of direct & indirect employment, improvement in the quality of life of people in rural areas and mitigation of floods & drought.

The recommendations also include certain action points like setting up National Commission for Basin management, improving cost recovery from irrigation projects & formation of Water Users Association. At present, no interlinking project under National Perspective Plan (NPP) is under implementation. Therefore, the stage has not come for taking decision on the action points suggested in the report.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by A. Elavarasan in the Rajya Sabha today.

February 17, 2009
Ministry of Water Resources
Press Information Bureau
Government of India

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Open Letter to NHRC

To

Hon'ble Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
New Delhi

Subject: Seeking urgent intervention to stop wide spread use of cancer causing asbestos products because exposing any worker or citizen to asbestos is human rights violation.

Sir,

With due respect I wish to seek your urgent intervention in the matter of a serious unprecedented environmental and occupational health crisis with regard to unnoticed asbestos epidemic in our country in general. Even if one asbestos fibre reaches the right place, it causes irreversible damage - leading to asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma. Thirty deaths are caused per day from asbestos-related diseases as per estimates based on US and European studies.

When the world is preparing and planning to get rid of all forms of asbestos, it makes us look stupid in India to be still importing it, we should devote our scarce resources to prevent the impending disaster by phasing it out as soon as we can. Safer substitute materials for white asbestos are available, they should be considered for use.

It is high time NHRC took note of ongoing asbestos exposures of citizens, consumers and workers and took immediate remedial measures. The exposure of construction workers and automobile mechanics for instance defies regulatory control efforts in any country.

I wish to draw your urgent attention to the order of Kerala Human Rights Commission that has ruled that exposing Indians to asbestos is a human rights violation. This paves the way for the eventual complete ban on asbestos and its products. On January 31, 2009, the Commission ruled that the government should take steps to phase out asbestos roofing from all schools in the state.

As per the survey of U.P. Asbestos Limited, Mohanlalganj, Lucknow and Allied Nippn Pvt Ltd, Gaziabad, (U.P), the lung function impairment was found to be higher in subjects exposed for more than 11 years. This was the result of a Central Pollution Control Board sponsored project entitled "Human risk assessment studies in asbestos industries in India". This has been reported in the (2001-2002) Annual Report of Industrial Toxicological Research Centre, Lucknow. It has also been
published in the 139th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forests, Science and Technology and presented to the parliament on 17th March, 2005.

Given the ubiquitous presence of the fiber, there is no alternative to getting it banned in right earnest. Scientists, doctors, public health researchers, trade unions, activists and civil society groups has been working to persuade the Governments to give up its consistent and continued pro-asbestos industry bias and lack of concern for the asbestos-injured who die one of the most painful deaths imaginable.

I wish to draw your attention towards the Government of India's submission made in August 2006 in its Report to the Supreme Court by Dr Prodipto Ghosh, then Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Chairman, Technical Experts Committee on Management of Hazardous Wastes took note of asbestos victims and cites the "Medical Examination of the Asbestos Handlers" by a team of National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) that concludes, " The X ray examination
by NIOH showed linear shadows on chest X rays of 15 (16 %) of 94 workers occupationally exposed to asbestos. These are consistent with asbestosis…"

Although the Supreme Court of India has ruled that the Government of India must comply with ILO resolutions, so far the ILO resolution (June 14,2006) stating "the elimination of the future use of asbestos and the identification and proper management of asbestos currently in place are the most effective means to protect workers from asbestos exposures and to prevent future asbestos-related disease and deaths" has not been acted upon.

We earnestly request you to direct all the workers and consumers in your state to take immediate steps to ensure that there no more exposures take place from now on.

Earlier on August 18,2003, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs informed the Parliament that: "Studies by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, have shown that long-term exposure to any type of asbestos can lead to development of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma." This was not the first official acknowledgment of the asbestos hazard. Government of India's Office Memorandum NO.6 (6)/94 - Cement, (Sept 1, 1994) of the Ministry of Industry states: "The Department has generally not been recommending any case of Industrial License to any new unit for the creation of fresh capacity of asbestos products in the recent past due to the apprehension that prolonged exposure to asbestos leads to serious health hazards".

Public health researchers, civil society groups, trade unions and human rights groups have demanded an immediate ban on all uses of asbestos including an immediate end to the import of chrysotile. They seek measures to identify, compensate and treat the asbestos-injured and regulations to minimize harmful exposures are also being proposed. They demand criminal prosecution of those responsible for asbestos exposures such as factory owners and company directors. Although non-asbestos technology certainly exists in India, in fact in some factories the two technologies exist side-by-side, consumers will inevitably opt for the cheaper product: more demand will translate into higher sales which will generate more chrysotile rupees that can be used to obtain an eve\of political support. As the quid-pro-quo relationship between Government officials and asbestos businessmen exists outside the media spotlight, journalists and the public remain unaware of the pernicious reasons which motivate the decisions being taken; decisions which will expose current and future generations to the deadly asbestos hazard.

The pattern of asbestos disease in India is all set to follow the diseases pattern seen in the developed countries.

Concerned with the global and national evidence about the increasing death toll of asbestos workers, trade unions, labour and environmental groups have sought immediate phase out of chrysotile asbestos. In India asbestos is still used in the manufacture of pressure and non-pressure pipes used for water supply, sewage, and drainage, packing material, brake linings and jointing used in automobiles, heavy equipment, nuclear power plants, thermal power plants amongst others.

Despite the fact that the World Trade Organisation has given an appropriate judgment against it, upholding France's decision to ban import of asbestos from Canada, successive governments in India have promoted this killer mineral fibre ignoring public health. World over almost forty countries have already banned asbestos, says H Mahadevan, General Secretary All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) & Vice-president, National Safety Council.

Dr S R Kamat, a renowned lung specialist was bitter at the "utter callousness of employers", the total lack of medical expertise and government inaction; all of which continued to put workers at risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases. In the 5 surveys done in the country, large number of the subjects showed asbestos lung diseases. All of them showed breathing problem, many had cough, some had sputum, chest pain finger clubbing and chest pain. Disability in such cases are permanent, progressive; means of compensation are meager, informs Dr Kamat.

White asbestos continues to be in use in India although other kinds such as blue and brown asbestos are banned. Asbestos is being promoted freely in our country whereas the developed countries are keeping away from it.

According to recent studies in United States there 10, 000 deaths happening due to past asbestos exposure and will cause million more deaths worldwide. This has been corroborated by studies published in the British Medical Journal. "The most vulnerable and affected people are the workers in asbestos manufacturing units who work under extremely hazardous conditions," said P K Ganguli of Centre for Indian Trade Union.

Taking note of the fact that public concern, regulations and liabilities involved have ended the use of asbestos from the developed countries, delegates at a Round Table wondered, "why is it that the concern of the countries, which have banned asbestos not relevant to India?." Exposing workers to asbestos must be equated to murder and legal provisions must deal with it accordingly. How many consumers would want to use the material if they know that even a single exposure can cause cancer? "Experimental as well as epidemiological studies proved asbestos as carcinogen as well as co-carcinogen. Risk assessment and control of occupational exposure are very poor in developing countries like India," said Dr Qamar Rehman, a renowned toxicologist. Corroborating it Raghunathbhai Manwar of Occupational Health and Safety Association, Ahmedabad said, "There are no industrial physicians and virtually no occupational health centres, whatever the rules may say."

Even World Bank has a policy against asbestos since 1991. "The Bank increasingly prefers to avoid financing asbestos use...Thus, at any mention of asbestos in Bank-assisted projects, the Task Manager needs to exercise special care." Diagnosable asbestosis among workers in most asbestos cement factories and consumer products with no warning labels and unions with no programmes to prevent asbestos disease and
exposure in builders and mechanics is alarming.
Delay in stopping asbestos use is a victory for those who do not wish to put health and the environment ahead of commercial interests.

In the light of these findings and developments, in short we

1. Urge you to an end to the use of the of all kinds of asbestos products that is being used and encountered daily, because none of the schools, offices, legislatures, courts, hospitals, automobiles, private and public buildings in our country are asbestos free in our country.

2. Ensure medical check of workers, consumers and citizens who handle asbestos products or are in its vicinity and work towards a just transition of workers with compensation to the affected workers and citizens
3. Prepare a Register of asbestos handlers and victims and award a compensation of at least Rs 20 lakh for the asbestos victims
4. Issue an appeal to all the State Human Rights Commissions of the country to adopt the path-breaking order of the Kerala Human Rights Commission with immediate effect
5. Protect the human rights of the 94 asbestos workers identified in Alang ship breaking yard, Gujarat


Yours faithfully

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Unfolding Lawrence Summers Principle

Dr Sudhirendar Sharma (SS) in conversation with Gopal Krishna (GK) on how some years ago, Lawrence Summers, a distinguished World Bank chief economist, US government official sent a memo to one of his subordinates justifying transfer of harm from developed countries to developing countries. This memo said in part:

`Just between you and me shouldn't the World Bank be encouraging more migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs....A given amount of health-impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages. I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest-wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that...Only the lamentable facts that so much pollution is generated by non-tradeable industries and the unit transport costs of solid waste are so high prevent world-welfare-enhancing trade in air pollution and waste...'

The Economist (Feb 8, 1992, 66), to which the memo was leaked, found the language `crass, even for an internal memo,' but `on the economics his points are hard to answer.'

GK I have read the Memo sent by Laurence Summers, his economic reasoning is clearly at work.

SS Q: In your work against toxic import are you not confronting `economics' with `ecology'? How do you position sound economic logic against an unmeasurable ecologic percept?

GK: All economic activities take place in an ecological space. The confrontation with the very substratum and the basis of human action emerges from a naked and blind lust for profit at any cost. Such blindness is a result of abnormal and unsound economic logic that is primarily guided by conditions dictated by market. As recently as the year 2000, Millennium Declaration calls for "policies and measures, at the global level" to undo the consequences of barbaric commerce but not the causes despite manifest display of trade being put before human health and environment As to positioning ecological concerns to counter economic logic, the stark fact is sane economic reasoning cannot decouple environmental health imperatives. What is required is injection of sanity in economic and industrial decision-making and financial instruments, which is conspicuous by its absence. Ecology is not out of us. We are ecological beings ourselves and we are quite measurable. Language creates outside-inside illusion especially with respect to ecology. In reality, the air we breathe, every drop of water we take and every human and technical activity we undertake is a constant reminder of this universal truth still we become oblivious of it under the influence of dismal and totalitarian science.

SS Q: In an era when market undermines community because it replaces personal ties of health necessity by impersonal market transactions are you not up against odds?

GK: When shareholder are allowed to become disproportionately and myopically more powerful than communities every human rights concern takes a back seat. The fact is shareholders are dominant in a fictitious economy whose make believe world and its worldview is enthusiastically supported by corporate media and sponsored academicians. Communities are part of the real economy. There is not an iota of doubt that they will have the last laugh when having witnessed the collapse of welfare nations-states, they will discover that all governments- be it capitalistic or socialistic- are of, for and by the industry and constitute a an empire called 'developmental' state.

SS Q: How do you intend correcting the large economic gains in light of the serious individual losses by way of human health?

GK: History is testimony to the rise and fall of the biggest empires. Had rise in large economic gains been the the panacea of all ills, the British Empire would not have come to an end. The narrative, which treats human health concerns in terms of individual health concerns, is dictated by market logic, which does not acknowledge the presence of communities, public health and public good.

Human health concerns and ecological needs are part of the same bundle of crises such as food chain poisoning, infant mortality, hunger and disease that has been caused by "large economic gains". It can be corrected by if human cost incurred for such "gains" is also calculated.

SS Q: Why individual health loss (say at ship breaking industry) doesn't become common issue? Have we lost the sense of community?

GK:
Communities, families, workers and unsuspecting consumers are getting overburdened by huge number of chemicals entering our body directing, through our food chain and through free trade. The industries commit this chemical trespass routinely and with impunity and the nation state responds by revealing its developmental face. The onslaught by the developmental state and its myriad agencies has shaken the sense of community but it is not lost as yet.

SS Q: While health minister can ban smoking in public places why ban on toxic asbestos important is held back for want of results of a study that may take two more years?

GK: A ban on smoking in public is just a half step in the direction but the availability of tobacco products is far more significant. The full step requires that the tobacco products be declared illegal substance then possession of cigarettes would become a crime, and the number of smokers would drastically fall.
As to asbestos, the recent assertion regarding the need for a study to ascertain the hazards of killer fibers at a UN meeting in Rome by R H Khawaja, an Environment Ministry official is act of sophistry and dishonesty. Our Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has already informed the parliament saying, "A lot of poor people use it. As regards the issue pertaining to banning of asbestos, on health grounds, the government certainly has not taken it up. It is an occupational hazard and people working in the asbestos factories are prone to lung cancer, but we are taking the enormity of the usage of asbestos. Mostly, poor people in the villages use it. Hence, I cannot take a decision on this issue." While enormity of use of asbestos as a reason for allowing its use is unpardonable because it reveals how the government has caved in under the influence of asbestos manufacturers.

Indeed it is for the Union Commerce Ministry and Chemicals Ministry to take a decision and amend the existing import policy for chrysotile without which the alarming rise in the asbestos consumption is unlikely to change. Sonia Gandhi led UPA government has legitimised hazardous waste trade, supported asbestos use and promoted hazardous pesticides like Endosulphan that cause incurable but preventable diseases. But the government in its sanity chose not to safeguard the health of its own citizens in order to protect the immoral profit mongers who indulge in what is referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility by the Public Relations agencies.

SS Q: Why has the issue of `toxics' not become part of our heath consciousness? Do you see it changing?

GK: There are more than 80,000 chemicals in trade and commerce but only approximately 15,000 have ever been tested. Out of even these, few have been studied enough to correctly estimate potential risks from exposure. Even when testing is done, each chemical is tested individually rather than in the combinations that one is exposed to in the real world. In reality, no one is ever exposed to a single chemical, but to a chemical soup, the ingredients of which may interact to cause unpredictable health effects.

The amount of data on body burdens available in the world is extremely limited, particularly compared to the voluminous data we have for chemical levels in air, water, soil, food, and wildlife. Most population-wide body burden data we do have covers only a limited number of chemicals.

Even in cases where a small number of them have ever been screened for even one potential health effect, such as cancer, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity, or impacts on the immune system and the hazards conclusively established, tremendous influence of companies that are more powerful than governments do allow any against these chemicals. If legislators and lawyers start getting their blood tested for chemicals and back trace to their source, the current situation might change.

SS Q: The issue of radioactivity in elevator switches doesn't become an issue? Is it because much of the toxic stuff is invisible and hence not easily measurable?

GK: Pollutants of all ilks are passengers without passports. When the French ships, laden with radioactive material, such as SS Blue Lady (SS France, SS Norway) got dumped purportedly for scrap metal in India, the European ship owners must have heaved a sigh of relief because they managed to escape decontamination costs. Little did they realize that the scrap metals would end up in their backyards as lift buttons made of the same contaminated steel. In the current case, it's a case a glaring loophole in the law. Both the relevant legal instruments Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2008 and Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes Rules, 1987 failed to forsee the likelihood of such a situation and neither of them provide for prior decontamination in the country of export. Now almost all nuclear countries are alerting Indian about its ramifications. Indian workers who suffered remain untraced.

Officials like R H Khawja and his "almost defunct" Central Pollution Control Board is responsible for it and they must be made accountable. Department of Atomic Energy must constitute a Nuclear Safety Authority, trace the victims and investigate all the secondary steel manufacturing units. Besides prior decontamination in the developed countries, similar efforts are required for hazardous substances and wastes. If this is done toxics and their health impact would become visible and measurable. Absence of criminal liability for companies and officials is the root cause of the chemicals induced health crisis being deemed intangible, which it is not.

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Germany discovers India's Radioactive Steel

More than 150 tons of radioactively contaminated metal parts from India landed in Germany. A similar incident of cobalt 60 nuclear radiation few months back in France that was traced back to India. Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had ordered an investigation whose outcome is not known as yet. Even in that case Vispras Casting, a Maharashtra based company was involved.

Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety revealed through a Press Release on 10.02.2009 that it has received information that, according to those in several German states radioactively contaminated steel products from India have been found.

The evidence indicates that contaminants are the result of an accidental melting of radioactive cobalt-60 radiation sources in an Indian smelting plant. According to the competent national authorities, the material studied, there is no danger for the population and the environment.

The products of those are both precursors in the form of stainless steel round, which in Germany should be further processed, as well as finished products, such as machine parts.

Household products or products of daily use are not affected by this information. The material was approved by the competent radiation protection authorities in the countries of precaution to ensure a spread of contamination or other consumer goods industries is prevented. The products are highly charged differently. In part they exceed the limits under which they are subject to State control. The vast majority will be less burdened. Federation and the Länder are currently looking for solutions that prevent even the less contaminated materials into the economic circulation.

The stainless steel was included in the present cases, originally from India. It is assumed that one or more of cobalt-60 sources in an Indian steel were melted.

On the initiative and invitation of the Federal Environment Ministry, representatives of federal supervision, the competent radiation protection authorities of the Länder, as well as associations of the steel industry in the last week what action to take advice. Their talks include issues such as the seized contaminated stainless steel is handled, and how the re-invasion radioactively contaminated stainless steels in the German business cycle can be prevented. For the next week,the federal oversight, the companies concerned are invited to discuss
possible solutions to discuss. In addition, the Federal Environment Ministry in a letter to the competent authority in India, a greater control of Indian companies to make incidents of this nature will be avoided.

Contaminated steel products as a result of accidental melting of radioactive sources are a global problem. For sustainable solutions, the world-Bundesum Ministry's initiative for greater international efforts to control on the import into Europe is taken.

Its a case of vicious circle where in Europe thinks that once it has got rid of obsolete ships like S S Norway, it is off its chest. It does not realize that what goes around eventually comes around. The ships like S S Norway are dismantled for secondary (scrap) steel at Alang and reused. The radioactive steel discovered in Germany (earlier in France, Sweden & US) is derived from the scrap steel.

Earlier, Germany, for istance allowed connived when the illegal traffic of S S Norway happened at its port of Bremerhaven. The ex-SS France, SS Norway (S S Blue Lady) was towed from Bremerhaven on her way to an uncertain future in Asia, May 2005. It was a case of classic Not in My Backyard approach and adoption of Lawrence Sumeer principle of transferring harm to developing countries based on economic logic.

Despite repeated reminders with regard to the ship in question violating UN's Basel Convention on Transboundary of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal, relevant EU laws, the Germans did not act. They gave a lame excuse saying that they cannot act because the ship is not owned by the state. Will they give the same eply had the ship been a terrorist's ship?.

There should be zero tolerance and no connivance. The Indian laws require prior decontamination of ships a major part of the scrap metal trade in the country of export but under undue influence of European ship owners, EU has connived at these owners escaping decontamination cost through proxy buyers without taking note of how its ends up in its life in a globalizing world.

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Zero Tolerance in chemical industry?

National Disaster Management of Authority (NDMA)that was constituted in Sept 2005 with Prime Minister of India as ex-officio Chairman consequent to enactment of Disaster Management Act, 2005 have brought out national guidelines on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management (CIDM), which was based on a premise to strengthen the prevention, mitigation and preparedness activities to effectively respond to such disasters, if occurred in spite of all safety measures identified in On/Off-Site plans.

NDMA took glaring initiatives right after its inception in awareness generation, education and training of all the stakeholders across the country to achieve an ultimate objective of "Zero Tolerance (Zero accident) in chemical industry" in imminent future.

There is a conference underway on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management, Pipelines, Storages & Medical Preparedness.

Given below is the final agenda of the conference

February 11, 2009 (Wednesday)
Inaugural Function at FICCI Golden Jubilee Auditorium3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M
3:00 P.M. – 3:05 P.M. Lighting of the Lamp
Moderator – Dr. Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI
3:05 P.M. – 3:10 P.M. Welcome Address – Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, President, FICCI
3:10 P.M. – 3:15 P.M. Theme Address - Lt. Gen. (Dr.) J R Bhardwaj, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, PHS (Retd), Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India
3:15 P.M. – 3:20 P.M. Presidential Address – Smt. Shiela Dixit, Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi
3:20 P.M. – 3:25 P.M. Address - Shri L Mansingh, Chairman, Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), India
3:25 P.M. – 3:30P.M. Release of Book on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management by Shri Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State for Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of IndiaRelease of Industry Compendium by Guest of Honour – Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Minister of State for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India
3:30 P.M. – 3:35 P.M. Keynote Address - Gen. N C Vij, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd), Vice Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India
3:35 P.M. – 3:55 P.M. Inaugural Address by Chief Guest – Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, Eminent Scientist & Former President of India
3:55 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Concluding Remarks – By FICCI
Inauguration of Exhibition by Shri Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State for Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India
4:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Tea/Coffee Break

Plenary Session : National Guidelines and Regulatory FrameworkVenue : Commission Hall, FICCI4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.Chairperson : Prof. P G Dhar Chakraborty, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
4:30 P.M. – 4:45 P.M Regulatory Framework – Mrs. (Dr.) Indrani Chandrashekharan, Advisor (E&F), Planning Commission, Government of India
4:45 P.M. – 5:00 P.M Regulatory Framework on Oil & Gas Sector – Mr. B S Negi, Member, Petroleum Natural Gas Regulatory Board, India
5:00 P.M. – 5:15 P.M Preventive Approach – Dr. R K Sharma, Coordinator – Core Group on CIDM, NDMA and Joint Director, INMAS, Delhi
5:15 P.M. – 5:30 P.M Safe Transportation of Hazardous Goods – Mr. K C Gupta, Director General, National Safety Council (NSC), Mumbai
5:30 P.M. – 5:45 P.M Capacity Development - Prof. Santosh Kumar, NIDM
5:45 P.M. – 6:00 P.M Implementation Approach – Mr. Surendera Kumar, Consultant, FICCI
6:00P.M. – 6:15 P.M Medical Preparedness & Casualty Management – Maj. Gen. J K Bansal, Coordinator – Core Group on NBC, NDMA
6:15 P.M. – 6:30 P.M Open Discussion
6:30 P.M. Onwards - Gala Cultural Programme followed by Dinner
February 12, 2009 (Thursday)Venue : Commission Hall, FICCIPlenary Session I : Implementation of Action Plan of Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Management 9:30 A.M. – 11: 05 A.M.Chairperson : Mr. K C Gupta, Director General, National Safety Council (NSC)
9:30 A.M. – 9:45 A.M Approach and Timeframe for Implementation – Dr. G K Pandey, Sr. Advisor, MoEF
9:45 A.M. – 10:00 A.M Salient Inputs to Nodal Ministry for Inclusion in the Action Plan by Ministry of Labour & Employment - Sh. S K Saxena, Director General, DGFASLI, Mumbai
10:00 A.M. – 10:15 A.M Salient Inputs to Nodal Ministry for Inclusion in the Action Plan by Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers - Mr. Jasbir Singh, Industrial Advisor
10:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M Culture of Preparedness through Mock Exercises-An initiative by NDMA – Brig. (Dr.) B K Khanna, Senior Specialist, NDMA
10:30 A.M. – 10:45 A.M. Open Discussion
10:45 A.M. – 11:00 A.M Tea / Coffee Break

Plenary Session II : Best Operating Practices in Chemical Industries 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.Chairperson : Dr. G K Pandey, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India
11:00 A.M. – 11:05 A.M. Launch of Software Platform of India – Human Resource Development Programme– (industrial Disaster Risk Management (HRDP – iDRM) Project - by Lt. Gen. (Dr.) J R Bhardwaj, Hon’ble Member, NDMA
11:05 A.M. – 11:20 A.M. Presentation on India Human Resource Development Programme – industrial Disaster Risk Management (HRDP –iDRM) Project - Dr. Rakesh Dubey, Director, Disaster Management Institute (DMI), Bhopal
11:20 A.M. – 11:35 A.M. Reduction and Management of Chemical Accidents/Disasters – Dr. Beer Singh, DRDE, Gwalior
11:35 A.M. – 11:50 A.M Transportation of Hazardous Chemicals - Prof. Dr Chalermchai Chaikittiporn, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand
11:50 A.M. – 12:05 P.M Surveillance of Emergency Management in USA – Ms. Rubina Imtiaz, Country Representative, Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
12:05 P.M. – 12:20 P.M. Dr. Schimpt, Senior Expert on Industrial Disaster Management, GTZ, Germany
12:20 P.M. – 12:35 P.M Chlorine Production Process Safety – Mr. Harisaran Das, Joint Director (SHE), AMA-India
12:35 P.M. – 12:50 P.M Open Discussion
01:00 P.M. – 02:00 P.M. Lunch Break

Plenary Session III – Medical Preparedness 2:00 P.M. – 3:45 P.M.Chairperson : Dr. M C Misra, Chief, Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS
2:00 P.M. – 2:15 P.M. Salient Features of NDMA Guidelines on Medical Preparedness & Mass Casualty Management – Surg Rear Admiral (Dr) V K Singh, VSM (Retd), Director, IIHMR, Delhi
2:15 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. Bird Flu to Pandemic Preparedness: Dr. Shashi Khare, National Institute of Communicable Diseases
2:30 P.M. – 2:45 P.M. Preparedness and Timelines for Integrated Hospital Disaster Management Planning - Dr. P. Ravindran, Director, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India
2:45 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Role of Immunization and Vaccination in Biological Disaster Prevention - Dr. Thomas Waytes, UP Medical Affairs Group, Emergent Bio Solutions, USA
03:00 P.M. – 03:15 P.M. Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Medical Preparedness in Disaster Management - Dr. S Kumar, Principal & Dean, M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
03:15 P.M. – 03:30 P.M. Open Discussion
03:30 P.M. – 03:45 P.M. Tea/Coffee Break

Plenary Session IV : Mass Casualty Management3:45 P.M. – 5:45 P.M.Chairperson : Dr. W Selvamurthy, Distinguished Scientist, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)Co-Chair : Dr. S Kumar, Principal & Dean, M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
3:45 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Trauma Management of Chemical Accident Victims – Dr. Amit Gupta, J P Narayan Apex Trauma Center, AIIMS
4:00 P.M. – 4:15 P.M. Heli-ambulances in Disaster Management - Air Commodre B S Siwach, Rotary Wing Society of India
4:15 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Role of Alternative Medicines in Chemical Disaster Management – Dr. Naval Kumar, Core Group Member, NDMA
4:30 P.M. – 4:45 P.M. Earthquake Risk Management in Health Facilities – Mr. Hari Kumar, Country Representative, Geo-Hazard Institute – USAID
4:45 P.M. – 5:00 P.M Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents and Emergencies - Dr. Kersten Gutschmidt, WHO
5:00 P.M. – 5:15 P.M Model for Integrated Services for Evacuation of Casualties – Dr. G V Ramana Rao, EMRI, Hyderabad
5:15 P.M. – 5:30 P.M Disposal of Dead Bodies during Mass Casualty Incident – Mr. Nicolas Bachmann, Co-operation Tracing Department, ICRC, New Delhi
5:30 P.M. – 5:45 P.M Open Discussion
6:30 P.M. Onwards Gala Cultural Programme followed by Dinner

February 13, 2009 (Friday)Venue : Commission Hall, FICCIPlenary Session I : Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies 9:00 A.M. – 10:15 A.M.Chairperson : Prof. Dr. Jochum, Director, European Process Safety
9:00 A.M. – 9:15 A.M Siting of Industries in a Multi – Hazard Environmental Framework : Risk Mapping and Knowledge Management – Dr. Anil Kumar Gupta & Ms. Sreeja S Nair, NIDM
9:15 A.M. – 9:30 A.M Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster - Dr. Roderico Ofrin and Mr. Alexander Hildebrand, WHO/SEARO
9:30 A.M. – 9:45 A.M APELL – Awareness and Preparedness for Emergency at Local Level - Ms. Helen Aromdee, Safety Technology Bureau, Thailand (WHO)
9:45 A.M. – 10:00 A.M Community Preparedness in Chemical Disasters: Lessons learnt and proposed models and strategies in Disaster risk reduction – Dr. Sunita Reddy, Assistant Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi
10:00 A.M. – 10:15 A.M. Open Discussion
Plenary Session II : Safety and Security of Chemical Products10:15 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.Chairperson : Mr. B S Negi, Member, Petroleum Natural Gas Regulatory Board, India
10:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M Chemical Safety – Optimal Design Considerations - Prof. Dr. Bender, BASF, Germany
10:30 A.M. – 10:45 A.M. Safety, Security & Safe Corridor for Pipelines for LPG and Natural Gas - Mr. B C Tripathi, Director (Mkt.), GAIL, New Delhi
10:45 A.M. – 11:00 A.M Vapour Suppression in Storage tanks and pipelines through Encapsulation and Photo catalyst Applications – Mr. T. Raghavendra Rao, Director-Sustainable Technologies & Environmental Projects Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
11:00 P.M. – 11:15 A.M. Open Discussion
11:15 P.M. – 11:30 A.M. Tea/Coffee Break
Plenary Session III : Industrial Safety and Waste Management11:30 A.M. – 12:30 A.M.Chairperson : Shri S K Saxena, Director General, DGFASLI, Mumbai
Panel Discussion with Labour Commissioners and Chief Inspector of Factories from various States on “Industrial Process Safety Management”
Panel Discussion with the Chairmen / Member Secretaries of State Pollution Control Boards on “Isolated Storages and Hazardous Waste Management”
Plenary Session IV : Risk Assessment and Analysis of Hazardous Industries12:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.Chairperson: Dr. R K Khandal, Director, Shriram Institute of Industrial Research (SIIR)
12:30 P.M. – 12:45 P.M. Risk Assessment of Hazardous Industries - Dr. Rakesh Dubey, Director, DMI, Bhopal
12:45 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. Emergency Management : Assessing Risks and Improving Emergency Preparedness especially in Existing Chemical Plants - Prof. Dr. Jochum, Director, European Process Safety
1:00 P.M. – 1:15 P.M. Review of Risk Assessment Models for Hazard mitigation - Sh. P.S. Dutt, Scientist & Head, Business Development Unit, NEERI, Nagpur
1:15 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. Open Discussion
1:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. Lunch Break
Plenary Session V : Miscellaneous2:30 P.M. – 4:15 P.M.Chairperson : Prof. Dr. Bender, BASF, GermanyCo-Chair : Dr. Florian Bemmerlein-Lux
2:30 P.M. – 2:45 P.M. Disaster Management at Industrial Park Level : A.P. Industrial Estates - Mr. Raghu Babu, Senior Program Specialist, GTZ-ASEM, Delhi
2:45 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Incident Command System and Overview – Mr. Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, Principal Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh
3:00 P.M. – 3:15 P.M. Role of Private Sector in Disaster Risk Management – Mr. Rajeev Issar, United Nations Development Programme
3:15 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. Knowledge Management - Solution Exchange Experience – Mr. G. Padmanabhan, United Nations Development Programme
3:30 P.M. – 3:45 P.M. Business Continuity Planning & its Integration with Incident Command System – Mr. Jayaraj Puthanveedu, Asia-Pacific Manager, Global Business Continuity and Recovery Services
3:45 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Open Discussion
4:00 P.M. – 4:15 P.M. Tea/Coffee Break
4:15 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Reassembling Time for Valedictory Session
4:30 P.M. – 5:15 P.M. Valedictory Session : Chairperson : Lt. Gen. (Dr.) J.R. Bhardwaj, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, PHS, (Retd.), Hon’ble Member, NDMA Distinguished Panel : Representatives from Government, Industry, Public Sector.

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US judge rejects mediation in Bhopal court case

NEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has rejected a request to order mediation to help resolve a long-running pollution lawsuit stemming from the 1984 Bhopal toxic gas leak in India, after objections from defendant Union Carbide Corp.

Bhopal residents have sued Union Carbide, now part of Dow Chemical Co DOW.N, over water and soil pollution allegedly caused by the gas leak at the chemical company's now-shuttered pesticide plant. Union Carbide says responsibility for the environmental conditions around the site lies with Indian authorities.

Well-known U.S. attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw the compensation fund for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, last month had offered to serve as a court-appointed mediator in the case for free at the request of the plaintiffs. Union Carbide opposed calls to appoint a mediator.

Judge John Keenan of U.S. District Court in Manhattan said in a written ruling dated Monday that in light of Union Carbide's opposition to the request and its stance that mediation in the case would be useless, "it would be counterproductive to use Mr. Feinberg's proffered services."

Thousands of people died in the aftermath of the 1984 gas leak, called one of the world's worst industrial disasters.

Bhopalis and environmental groups say many more people have been harmed since then by pollutants seeping out of the plant site into ground water, which they contend have caused health problems for nearby residents including cancer, growth retardation and dizziness.

Union Carbide paid $470 million in damages to the Indian government in 1989 for victims of the gas leak.

The U.S. pollution lawsuit got new life in November when it was revived by a federal appeals court in New York, which said the district court made a mistake by throwing it out.

The case is Sahu et al v. Union Carbide Corporation et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No 04-08825. (Reporting by Martha Graybow; Editing by Bernard Orr)

By Martha Graybow
Wed Feb 11, 2009

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Satyam Scam & Draft Environmental Impact Assessment, 2009

Note:It seems funds collected through Satyam scam was not sufficient for the upcoming parliamentary elections, the new Environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification 2009 (S.O.195(E), [19/01/2009]) is meant to satisfy the corporate funders of the ruling parties. Opposition parties are quire silent about the latter becasue they tend to dod the same when they are at the helm of the affairs.

Opposition parties have criticized Andhra Pradesh’s Congress party-led government for allegedly shielding Raju and his Rs 7,136 crore fraud. B. Ramalinga Raju confessed on 7 January, 2009 to having doctored its accounts over a period of several years by inflating revenue and profit. It is being said that sons of Andhra Pradesh chief minister have benefitted from the scam. The chief minister has written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) calling for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while opposition parties are demanding judicial probe.

In a biting criticism on Andhra Pradesh police's handling of the Satyam case, former chief of Securities and Exchange Board of India M Damodaran has said the firm's founder Ramalinga Raju and other officials were in fact in "protective custody."

Damodaran, who demitted office as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India last year, suggested that there was no other way of looking at it given the weak resistance the police put up when the court remanded Raju to judicial custody.

"Instead, the police happily handed over them (Raju, his brother Rama Raju) in judicial custody, so that Sebi needs to get court's permission first (to quiz them)," he said during a seminar at the IIM-A here.

When a Sebi probe team approached a magistrate court for permission to interrogate the Raju brothers, the petition was dismissed on technical grounds. As the AP High Court too did not give early relief, the regulator had to finally move the Supreme Court.

The Sebi team has finished questioning the Raju brothers on the accounting fraud in Satyam Computer.

"This is what I call that Ramlinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju, and (former) Chief Financial Officer Valdamani Srinivas are in protective custody," Damodaran said. "I don't know how the law will help when the state decides to provide protective custody," he asked.

Destroyers of environment are sought to be put in protective custody of this draft EIA notification issued by the Dr Manmohan Singh headed Ministry of Environment and Forests is seemingly and technically legal but quite anti-environment.

Whereas by notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Environment and Forests vide number S.I.1533(E), dated 14th September, 2006 issued under sub-section (1) and clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section (3)of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 read with clause (d) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government directed that on and from the date of its publication, the required construction of new projects or activities or the expansion or modernization of existing projects or activities listed in the Scheduled to the aid notification entailing the capacity addition with change in process or technology and or product mix shall be undertaken in part of India only after prior environmental clearance from the Central Government or as the case may be, by the State level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, duly constituted by the Central Government under sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, in accordance with the procedure specified therein.

Objections and suggestions can be sent to , on or before the expiry of 60 days of the date of issue of this notification. The notification was issued on 19 January, 2009. The draft is available at http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/eia/so195.pdf

Moderator

Environmental Impact Assessment

Introduction:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important management tool for ensuring optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development. A beginning in this direction was made in our country with the impact assessment of river valley projects in 1978-79 and the scope has subsequently been enhanced to cover other developmental sectors such as industries, thermal power projects, mining schemes etc. To facilitate collection of environmental data and preparation of management plans, guidelines have been evolved and circulated to the concerned Central and State Government Departments. EIA has now been made mandatory under the Environmental (Protection Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores and above.

Environmental Appraisal Committees:

With a view to ensure multi-disciplinary input required for environmental appraisal of development projects, Expert Committees have been constituted for the following sectors:

* Mining Projects
* Industrial Projects
* Thermal Power Projects
* River Valley, Multipurpose, Irrigation and H.E. Projects
* Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous Projects
* Nuclear Power Projects

Environmental Appraisal Procedure:

Once an application has been submitted by a project authority alongwith all the requisite documents specified in the EIA Notification, it is scrutinised by the technical staff of the Ministry prior to placing it before the Environmental Appraisal Committees. The Appraisal Committees evaluate the impact of the project based on the data furnished by the project authorities and if necessary, site visits or on-the-spot assessment of various environmental aspects are also undertaken. Based on such examination, the Committees make recommendations for approval or rejection of the project, which are then processed in the Ministry for approval or rejection.

In case of site specific projects such as Mining, River Valley, Ports and Harbours etc., a two stage clearance procedure has been adopted whereby the project authorities have to obtain site clearance before applying for environmental clearance of their projects. This is to ensure avoiding areas which are ecologically fragile and environmentally sensitive. In case of projects where complete information has been submitted by the project proponents, a decision is taken within 90 days.

Monitoring:

After considering all the facets of a project, environmental clearance is accorded subject to implementation of the stipulated environmental safeguards. Monitoring of cleared projects is undertaken by the six regional offices of the Ministry functioning at Shillong, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Lucknow and Bhopal. The primary objective of such a procedure is to ensure adequacy of the suggested safeguards and also to undertake mid-course corrections required, if any. The procedure adopted for monitoring is as follows:

* Project authorities are required to report every six months on the progress of implementation of the conditions/safeguards stipulated, while according clearance to the project.

* Field visits of officers and expert teams from the Ministry and/ or its Regional Offices are undertaken to collect and analyse performance data of development projects, so that difficulties encountered are discussed with the proponents with a view to finding solutions.

* In case of substantial deviations and poor or no response, the matter is taken up with the concerned State Government.

* Changes in scope of project are identified to check whether review of earlier decision is called for or not.

Coastal Area Management:

Coastal States/UTs are required to prepare Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) as per the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 1991, identifying and categorising the coastal areas for different activities and submit it to the Ministry for approval.

The Ministry has constituted a Task Force for examination of these plans submitted by Maharashtra and Gujarat States have been discussed in the meetings of the Task Force and these need to be modified. The Government of Orissa has submitted a partial plan covering only a part of their coastal area. In respect of West Bengal, a preliminary concept document of the CZMP has been submitted. Revised CZMP/clarifications have been received from the State of Goa and UTs of Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

During the year, the Task Force had seven meetings and two site visits for consideration of the plans. Once the plans of the different States/UTs are finalised, the development activities in the coastal belt would be more forcefully regulated to ensure non-violation of CRZ Notification.

Island Development Authority (IDA):

The 9th meeting of IDA was held on 22.1.96 under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister to decide on various policies and programmes aimed at integrated development of the islands, keeping in view the relevent aspects of environmental protection, and also to review the progress of implementation and impact of the programmes of development.

Studies on Carrying Capacity:

Natural resources are finite and are dwindling at a fast pace. Optimization of natural resources for achieving the objective of sustainable development is therefore, self evidents, this can be done only when environmental considerations are internalized in the development process. It has often been observed that one or more natural resource(s) becomes a limiting resource in a given region thereby restricting the scope of development portfolios. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has been sponsoring Carrying Capacity Studies for different regions. The studies involve:

* Inventorisation of the natural resources available;
* Preparation of the existing environmental settings;
* Perspective plans and their impact on natural resources through creation of "Business As Usual Scenario";
* Identification of "Hot Spots" requiring immediate remedial action to overcome air, water or land pollution;
* Formulation of alternative development scenarios including a Preferred Scenarios. A comparison between "Business As Usual" and the "Preferred Scenario" would indicate the future course of action to be adopted for development of the region after the package has been discussed with the local people as well as the planners.

A few problem areas such as the Doon Valley - an ecologically sensitive area, the National Capital Region (NCR) which is suffering from air and water pollution as well as congestion, Damodar River Basin which is very rich in natural resources and yet has extensive environmental degradation and Tapi estuary which represents the problems in the coastal region both for water and land development, have been selected for carrying out such studies.

A multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional approach has been adopted for conducting these studies. Draft reports are ready for Doon Valley and the NCR and are being discussed with the NGOs and the local people for finalising the same. Work relating to Damodar Basin and Tapi Estuary is continuing with respect to secondary data collection and analysis so as to identify the requirements of primary data collection and modification in the development scenarios.

Source: http://envfor.nic.in/

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