Ban use and manufacture of asbestos products
Shimla/New Delhi: Himalaya Niti
Abhiyan and ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) have demanded immediate stoppage of Delhi
based Vardhman Roofings Private LtdⳠproposed lung cancer causing Asbestos
Cement Sheet Plant at Trilokpur Road, Village: Kheri, Tehsil: Nahan, District:
Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. Environmental groups also demand that the state
government should take step to make the state asbestos free because asbestos is
banned in over 55 countries. TWA has sent a letter to the Chief Secretary in this regard.࠼br>
State government should take
note of the notice sent by National Human Rights Commission in the matter of
incurable asbestos related diseases on July 6, 2011 to the Chief Secretary,
Himachal Pradesh. (Reference: http://nhrc.nic.in/dispArchive.asp?fno=2334)
It is a fact that central
government does not favour new asbestos plants in the country. "The
Government of India is considering the ban on use of chrysotile asbestos in
India to protect the workers and the general population against primary and
secondary exposure to Chrysotile form of Asbestos." It has noted that
"Asbestosis is yet another occupational disease of the Lungs which is on
an increase under similar circumstances warranting concerted efforts of all
stake holders to evolve strategies to curb this menace". A concept paper
by Union Ministry of Labour revealed this at the two-day 5th India-EU Joint
Seminar on ㏣cupational Safety and Health䠯n 19th and 20th September, 2011.
(Reference: http://www.labour.nic.in/lc/Background%20note.pdf).
It is strange that on the one
hand Union Environment MinistryⳠVision Statement on Environment and Human
Health (Para 4.3.1) reads: ぬternatives to asbestos may be used to the extent
possible and use of asbestos may be phased out䬠on the other hand the asbestos
project was given environmental clearance on May 10, 2011.
It is noteworthy that Union
Ministry of Chemicals has rightly disassociated itself from asbestos producing
countries like Russia and Canada on June 22, 2011 at a UN meeting. Government
of India has taken a position that it considers chrysotile asbestos as a
hazardous substance.
State government should pay heed
to World Health Assembly Resolution on cancer prevention that urges countries
to pay special attention to cancers for which avoidable exposure is a factor,
including exposure to chemicals at the workplace. In 2005, the World Health
Assembly requested WHO to carry out a global campaign for the elimination of
asbestos-related diseases.
The resolution of the 95th
Session of the International Labour Conference of ILO in June 2006 stated,
"Considering that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are
classified as known human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research
on Cancer, a classification restated by the International Programme on Chemical
Safety (a joint Programme of the International Labour Organization, the World
Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme), it resolves
that: (a) 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 exposure and to prevent future
asbestos-related diseases and deaths; and (b) the Asbestos Convention, 1986
(No. 162), should not be used to provide a justification for, or endorsement
of, the continued use of asbestos."
There are grave concerns about
asbestos exposures resulting in public health crisis world over. This has
compelled 55 countries to ban use of asbestos. In the absence of environmental
and occupational health infrastructure, the passivity of the state governments
cannot be deemed acceptable.
In view of the above, state
government should take immediate and urgent steps to prevent environmental and occupational
exposure to asbestos' besides non-occupational exposures to asbestos. Asbestos
related material like asbestos cement sheets, asbestos cement pressure pipes
and joints, asbestos cement flat sheets, asbestos cement building boards,
asbestos cement cable conduits and troughs etc must be phased out.
Himachal Government ought to
stop such hazardous plants to save residents of the state from incurable lung
diseases. There should be a moratorium on asbestos based hazardous industries
and steps should be taken to phase out asbestos use and take immediate steps to
ban this killer fiber to save the present and future citizens of the state and
the country.
Gopal
Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance, New Delhi, Mb: 09818089660, E-mail: krishna1715@gmail.com, Web:toxicswatch.blogspot.com ࠼/span>
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