| [1] | | | | calcium sulphide and later on chemical fertilizer |
| Development through foreign investment and export. | | | | containing ammonium sulphate. In the meantime |
| According to the trend of globalization this is precisely | | | | Mitsubishi also joined them on partnership basis. By |
| the government-approved paradigm of development, | | | | 1930 they had accessed the technology of |
| the real aim of which is plunder. Free-of-cost supply of | | | | manufacturing acetylene by using mercury compound. |
| water and infrastructure, land and labour at cheap | | | | They started producing various organic items like |
| price-these are the preconditions of such investments. | | | | acetic acid, acetone, butanol, etc. In course of this |
| The investors will bring over their own capital, own | | | | process they also established their monopoly in |
| technology, even their own raw material if required; | | | | acetylene chemistry. Not only in their own country, but |
| and then they will carry on indiscriminate plunder, | | | | also in many countries abroad, including Korea, ther |
| shatter nature, environment, destroy water, air, soil, and | | | | Nippon Kesso spread its empire. In the meantime the |
| all resources for production. Ultimately they will leave | | | | topography of Minamata too has changed along this |
| without the least qualm after they have pushed the | | | | course of the progress of the Nippo Kesso Company. |
| total economy of the country into the jaws of | | | | Initially from village to town, Minamata had eventually |
| imminent disaster. This has been proved by history; | | | | emerged as a full-fledged city, with abundant roads, |
| Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, | | | | communication and transport facility. |
| and other places bear witness to this process. When | | | | But under this façade of prosperity there lies |
| the investors arrive they force a huge number of | | | | hidden many an untold story of lost lives, shattered |
| people to death by dispossessing them of their means | | | | families, ruined means of livelihood, smashed ways of |
| of livelihood, displacing them from habitation, and | | | | life. The local fishermen, farmers, farm lands have |
| pauperizing to destitution; and when they finally leave | | | | been ruined bit by bit silently imperceptibly. The horrible |
| they have already shattered the backbone of the | | | | claws of chemical industry have grabbed and mangled |
| country's total economic development which affects | | | | all the resources of man's livelihood. The uncontrolled |
| not only the uprooted, penniless, homeless millions, but | | | | dumping of factory waste has poisoned the sea |
| also people belonging to all rungs of the society. | | | | water, which has in its turn infected sea weeds, fish |
| Considered in this perspective the plan of installing | | | | and other creatures of the sea. Poisonous chemical |
| 'chemical hub' in West Bengal acquires enormous | | | | elements have entered the food chain, which through |
| significance. It becomes clear here how international | | | | the circuit of other creatures ultimately enters the |
| trade and commerce , in their own interest, offers | | | | human body. The soil, air, water, forests have been |
| some such projects to the third world countries, where | | | | infected in the same way. In all it headed for such a |
| the dazzle of advertisements and fanfare of | | | | grim situation about which nobody had spared a |
| government propaganda keep hidden the ugly face of | | | | forethought - neither the company nor the government |
| the marauders, the real conspiracy of the plunderers. | | | | had been bothered by it in the least. Consequently the |
| But what is actually meant by this so-called | | | | pollution went on unabated, and the count of the |
| controversial 'chemical hub'? It is not known if there is | | | | infected started to show a steep hike. |
| any formal definition of this phenomenon. Anyway, as | | | | The horror of the situation came to the fore around |
| a practical definition it can be said that 'chemical hub' is | | | | 1956. One day four patients, complaining of a strange |
| an industrial zone which contains a series of chemical | | | | symptom, were admitted to Minamata hospital. The |
| factories that are connected to each other in an | | | | number continued to swell with time. The symptoms |
| interdependent chain. However, the real issue is not the | | | | included signs of mental abnormality, rigour, fainting, |
| definition, but the threat of pollution, ecological | | | | slipping into coma, and finally death. Before long this |
| imbalance, threat to public health, security, etc. And | | | | unknown ailment took the form of pestilence in the |
| certainly of course some more questions are related | | | | area. As the very ailment was of an unknown |
| to this. For instance, exactly what chemical items are | | | | category, treatment too was not possible. Eventually it |
| going to be produced there, and for whom; what is | | | | came to light that all of them used to catch fish in the |
| their requirement, who are going to be the main | | | | far sea, and consume that fish on a regular basis. |
| consumer of the produced goods-are they Indians or | | | | Harosuai, a physician at the local hospital, first turned |
| foreigners, etc., etc.? Furthermore, if it is meant for | | | | attention towards the sea. After some time, the very |
| indigenous consumption, then what will be our policy | | | | same year a team of researchers from Kumamoto |
| regarding chemical production? In fact, chemical | | | | university discovered the presence of an extraordinary |
| industry is not just another industry. Its area is far more | | | | level of mercury in the waste rolling into the sea water, |
| extended, and its impact too is far-reaching. In addition | | | | and they identified this as the cause of the lethal |
| to this, chemical industry is directly connected with | | | | disease. The discovery led to a considerable stirring at |
| agricultural policy, and various other questions related | | | | the national level. But Kesso refused to admit the |
| to environment and habitation are also involved in this | | | | allegation and continued their production as before. |
| context. | | | | Neither did they have any trouble amassing the |
| Today's chemical industry is not what it was a hundred | | | | governmental support on their side. Instead of |
| years ago. Today it has sent tentacles into food | | | | disinfecting the environment the government only |
| processing, agricultural trade, manufacturing from | | | | came down ruthlessly on the very report, which was |
| seeds to cosmetics, soft drinks and many different | | | | stiffly opposed. The demonstration of local fishermen |
| items. Besides installation of such a chemical zone | | | | against Kesso was met with repression and torture on |
| involves great hazards at every step. The place | | | | the part of the government. In the meanwhile hundreds |
| where huge quantities of such a dangerous range of | | | | of cats, turned mad, started to jump into the sea and |
| chemicals will be produced, will necessarily emit or spit | | | | thus commit suicide. Every now and then infected birds |
| up countless elements which are bound to be | | | | started dropping down from the sky and falling dead. |
| hazardous for the environment, for the health and | | | | Various ailments including physical deformities surfaced |
| security of the labourers, as also for vast numbers | | | | among the bulk of the human population of the area. |
| living in the adjacent areas. Even apart from this, there | | | | Then at last Nippon Kesso geared itself up to stop |
| always remains the possibility of some massive | | | | protest. They started thrusting cash into the palms of |
| accident, the kind of which had been witnessed in | | | | the infected. The government kept completely silent on |
| Bhopal. In this situation, if the produced goods are again | | | | the matter. Neither did they announce any kind of |
| shipped off abroad, why should we at all take this | | | | compensation. On the other hand more than forty |
| additional risk of danger? We must give serious | | | | thousand people had waited till 1993 in the hope of |
| thought to the matter. | | | | compensation. Neither was there any compensation, |
| According to the note issued by the State | | | | nor any pause in production, or any restrain in the |
| Government here the hub will be engaged in making | | | | violation of nature. No order/ordinance was clamped |
| petrochemical products. The main problem of such | | | | on Kesso towards restraining or controlling this violation; |
| chemicals producing zone is the poisonous waste | | | | instead a ban was imposed upon the fishermen of the |
| which is not less hazardous than radioactive nuclear | | | | locality-that they could catch fish in the sea, but won't |
| waste by any account. Any chemical reaction lead to | | | | be allowed to consume that fish or any other |
| the production of certain unwanted items which come | | | | sea-creature. Furthermore, the news had already |
| to no use any more. For instance , the lethally | | | | reached far and wide. As a result no customer was to |
| poisonous Dioxin, or Furan, can be mentioned. Besides | | | | be found for their fish. Consequently an enormous |
| there are the varied polluting emissions which roll into | | | | economic disaster confronted the fishermen of the |
| the air. Among the waste there are the heavy metal | | | | entire area. In the meantime Kesso had started |
| including mercury, arsenic, etc. Where will these go? It | | | | dumping its waste into the adjacent river called |
| is quite expensive to reduce or control the amount of | | | | Minamata; carried along the flow of the river pollution |
| poisonous waste. Who will shoulder this extra | | | | now spread into other cities as well, and there too the |
| expense? All the industries indiscriminately dump this | | | | diseases of Minamata began to spread. Countless |
| waste into adjacent rivers, canals or the sea. A | | | | people died. And as there was no cure for this ailment |
| sizeable portion also enters the air as black smoke. | | | | except pollution control, the consequence of the |
| This creates a heavy layer in the air, and innumerable | | | | Minamata disease too was extremely terrifying. It is |
| minutest of the minute particles gather in the air which | | | | strange that Nippon Kesso had never admitted that |
| lead to perforation in human lungs. The heavy | | | | the pollution caused by their waste was the precise |
| elements spread over the soil, seep into the lower | | | | cause of this pestilence. Consequently none of the |
| layers underneath, roll into the water tanks of the | | | | affected has got any compensation till date. |
| locality. Gradually, the rivers, sea, canals, tanks, forests, | | | | Since this is the fallout of chemical industry zone [or |
| plantations, everything get contaminated by the poison. | | | | 'hub'] throughout the world, how far should it be wise or |
| The strong poison seeps from the surface through the | | | | practicable to build this type of industry zone in a |
| soil into the underground; drinking water gets poisoned, | | | | densely populated state like West Bengal, or a highly |
| which again in its turn attacks the agricultural field. From | | | | populated country like India? It is desirable not to |
| there through crops and corns the poison creeps into | | | | undertake any project of such potentially hazardous |
| the bodies of humans and cattle, poultry and fish | | | | industry in a place where there is no existing |
| leading to various severe incurable diseases. That is | | | | appropriate governmental infrastructure to ensure |
| the grim inevitability. Ultimately the whole zone ceases | | | | public safety-security, where there is practically no |
| to be habitable any more. Then the big companies too | | | | existing system to control pollution. It is also noticeable |
| wind up their industry and sneak off elsewhere. | | | | that the government here is seeking to install 'chemical |
| 'Chemical Hub'! However fine the name may sound, | | | | hub' precisely in the Brazilian model. The raw material |
| this is but that old wine in new bottle. In many places of | | | | will come from abroad; they will use the water, land |
| the world industrial zones of this type have come up. | | | | and cheap labour of our country. Then the produced |
| And the experience of those chemicals producing | | | | goods will be shipped off to other countries, especially |
| industry zones is not of prosperity, but rather its | | | | to those developed countries which are adequately |
| opposite. A glaring example of the kind of horrible | | | | conscious of their health requirements, sufficiently vocal |
| disaster that can fall upon a whole area in the wake of | | | | about protecting their own environment. |
| emissions from the long chain of factories is Kubatao, | | | | In fact, it is under the pressure of environmental |
| the chemical industry city or 'hub' of Brazil. During the | | | | movements of the first world that the many big |
| decade of the seventies, in the name of quick and | | | | commercial houses are now in a rush for the third |
| largescale development and prosperity, it had | | | | world shores in order to maintain their rate of profit. |
| indiscriminately invited a host of investors. On the crest | | | | Today the new chemical industry control policy in |
| of a tidal wave of foreign investment, this industry city | | | | Europe, called 'RICH', have been forcing the investors |
| came up there-crowned as 'the Chemical Capital of | | | | to look for new locations. 'RICH' is the abbreviated |
| Brazil'; flanked by the flowing river, while Port Santos, | | | | name of a policy called 'Registration Evaluation and |
| the largest Latin American sea port stood close by, -- | | | | Authorization of Chemicals'. Since the enforcement of |
| a flawless communication-transport system both by | | | | this regulation it will not be possible for them to |
| land and water routes. To this was added | | | | shoulder all the responsibility of protecting the |
| trade-friendly liberal industrial policy, cheap labour, | | | | environment and amassing the huge profit margin at |
| unlimited tax concession, land at nominal price, -- a free | | | | the same time; it is precisely for this reason that they |
| field for plundering. At that time no other country in the | | | | have now been on the lookout for new sites. The |
| world was agreeable to such an extent of | | | | German company, BASF has already declared in so |
| concessions. Therefore, by getting the guarantee of | | | | many words that this regulation is not realistic; because |
| biggest profit the investors had rushed for Brazil which | | | | this will multiply the cost of building and running 'chemical |
| provided for them the ideal arena for unrestrained | | | | hubs' to such a degree that customers will ultimately |
| plunder. It seems much like the scene of today's West | | | | give up the consumption of chemicals. Yet Europe has |
| Bengal or India. | | | | not backed out from its earlier stance at all; not only |
| Kubatao is the grim example of the horrible | | | | that, but they are also actively engaged in |
| consequences of unplanned haphazard investment, | | | | strengthening their own chemical usage policy and |
| unrestrained trade, and the limitless concession to | | | | imposing control over the use of many items. |
| export-oriented economy. Within just a single decade | | | | Towards ensuring a pollution-free earth the Stockholm |
| that city turned into the valley of death. It is for this | | | | convention of 2001 had identified twelve specific |
| reason that Kubatao is called 'the valley of death.' The | | | | chemicals as the 'dirty dozen'. Recently many more |
| dense Atlantic forest that once covered the mountain | | | | items are being added up to these compounds. That |
| ranges there was completely destroyed. The river that | | | | list includes undesirable poisonous waste like Dioxin, |
| once quietly brimmed with life turned into a dead water | | | | furan as well as various chlorine-based insecticides |
| reservoir. There was no living creature inside the river | | | | including D.D.T., Eldrine , and poisonous by-products. |
| any more; it was now carrying only poisonous water | | | | These are called 'Persistent organic pollutant' or POP |
| and some water plants. The city slithered with poison | | | | compound. This means that these are not only |
| all over its body. The air above is poisoned; so is the | | | | poisonous, these can continue unabated in the |
| soil below, the land, the forests. Kubatao began to | | | | environment for a long time, and can even be |
| have infants born without the brains, infants who rarely | | | | bio-accumulative. This means they can enter the |
| survived and were born deformed. It was difficult to | | | | vegetation or animal body , through food chain and can |
| draw one's breath in the heavy air, which severely | | | | infect the human body through these. Let us suppose |
| lacked oxygen. The sky was dark even during day | | | | this is sprinkled on the grass; from there it enters the |
| time. And sickness everywhere! Most of the residents | | | | body of bovines and other cattle, from there again in |
| of the area had been suffering from tuberculosis, or | | | | the milk; through the milk seeping into the human body, |
| cancer, asthma or lungs-related various diseases. The | | | | which can even percolate through the body of the |
| once dense forests upon the hills had disappeared; in | | | | succeeding generation. A big range of such poisonous |
| its place appeared some stray dwarfish sickly trees | | | | chemicals are again broadly classified as PBT, or |
| and plants , with leaves shaken off by the pungent | | | | 'Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic Chemical'. |
| smoke of chemicals. Every now and then landslides | | | | In addition to this there are several other compounds |
| occurred, killing many. This was compounded by | | | | which are called carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic to |
| frequent acid rains. In all a total disaster it was. | | | | reproduction, or CMR compounds. This refers to those |
| By 1985 the situation of Kubatao went completely out | | | | chemical compounds which can lead to cancer, |
| of control. In January that year a continuous rain of | | | | mutation (cell splitting), and adversely affect |
| two days and 15 inches was followed by a strange | | | | reproduction. Many elements of the petrochemical |
| landslide. Hundreds and hundreds of displaced boulders | | | | industry are characterized by both these properties. |
| came down crashing on the valley of Kubatao. The | | | | Therefore, Europe and America have imposed various |
| gigantic ammonia pipeline in Villa Parisi burst and within | | | | restrictions in the areas of high volume production. It is |
| an instant thick pungent smoke, dense like cloud, shot | | | | not difficult to guess how far these restrictions are |
| up. Many were injured in this accident, many fell sick. | | | | applicable in a country like India. Besides this there are |
| Although initially the government refused to admit, | | | | also many hazards during application. The way |
| ultimately the administration was forced to make an | | | | dangerous chemicals are handled in this country with |
| emergency evacuation of the entire region on | | | | bare hands, and without taking any precaution, is |
| war-footing. The governor of Sao Paolo officially | | | | enough to send cold shivers through the spine of any |
| declared emergency, and ordered the pollution control | | | | person with the minimum awareness. The question of |
| board of the state to enforce an immediate curb on | | | | additional measures for labour security is better left |
| pollution, a thing which was impossible at this stage. | | | | unmentioned. |
| During the span of more than twenty years that | | | | In the developed countries it is not only that many |
| followed since, and in spite of the concerted effort of | | | | chemicals are being banned, or restrictions are being |
| many organizations, the pollution level of Kubatao could | | | | imposed on the production of compounds classified as |
| not be lowered to the below-danger level. | | | | POP, CMR, PBT; the proportion of poisonous elements |
| Brazil is not alone. Similar histories lie scattered over | | | | in industry waste is subject to strict surveillance. In all |
| the world. Even within the territories of the USA itself it | | | | chemical industry faces a big challenge in Europe |
| has been noticed how the adjacent areas to chemical | | | | today. It may be mentioned that there are some |
| factories become infested with poison. Let us cast a | | | | chemicals whose synthesizing is restricted though not |
| glance at Midland of the state of Michigan. Dow | | | | the use. The USA too has been imposing stricter state |
| Chemical, one of the world's biggest producers of | | | | control over chemicals industry. The reason of all such |
| chemical goods, has poisoned not only the water of | | | | restriction is precisely the possibility of hazards related |
| the Tittabaowasi river, but also the underground layers | | | | to this industry. Not that it is impossible to produce by |
| beneath its basin. The local residents have launched | | | | obeying all the restrictions; but that should be |
| movement against this. Residents of the area have | | | | enormously expensive. That is why the multinational |
| filed suit against the Dowe Chemicals alleging its | | | | mega industrial companies have been seeking out the |
| responsibility behind their many ailments including | | | | third world countries. It is common knowledge that in |
| cancer. The level of poisonous Dioxin is extraordinarily | | | | these third world countries there is practically no such |
| high there, which can lead not only to cancer, but also | | | | thing as proper system towards pollution control; |
| to serious complicated ailments including heart-disease, | | | | neither can the situation change overnight. Therefore, if |
| diabetes, skin-disease, deformity at birth, etc. The data | | | | the production is shifted to this location then the profit |
| figures in the bulletin of the Michigan Department of | | | | level can be maintained at ease. It is only too clear that |
| Environmental Quality. In Washington various allegations | | | | if West Bengal is turned into such an industrial colony |
| have come up against Du Pont, the largest chemical | | | | under the excuse of development, then ultimately it will |
| corporate of the world. For instance, in the adjacent | | | | be a repeat of Kuabato; such an anxiety can prove |
| areas to Du Pont's factory in Virginia, the tap water | | | | only too real. |
| shows the presence of the poisonous C8 which is | | | | The government-adopted paradigm of development, in |
| used in Teflon. When blood test of the local residents | | | | accordance with the trend of globalization , and by |
| also exposed the presence of the same poisonous | | | | means of investment and export, is actually a plan of |
| element, cases had been lodged against the company. | | | | plunder to serve the interests of multinational trade; and |
| It was alleged that the company had deliberately | | | | the effort to set up chemical hub in West Bengal is but |
| suppressed facts. In the Teflon case Du Pont had to | | | | a glaring example of that plan of plunder. And if it |
| pay more than ten million US dollars towards | | | | materializes , a total disaster will be inevitable in the |
| compensation. It needs no mention that even after | | | | coming days. In view of the standard and infrastructure |
| Teflon had been banned in the USA it continued to be | | | | of pollution control in our country, and moreover, in |
| exported long afterwards. It should be mentioned in this | | | | view of the past record of the big multinational trade |
| connection that there are many chemicals which have | | | | and industry, it requires no great wisdom to foretell that |
| been banned in the developed countries, but are still | | | | wherever such an industry zone comes up, a vast |
| being produced and used in the underdeveloped | | | | area around it will be turned into a graveyard in near |
| countries of the world. | | | | future. Agriculture, food, water, air, public health, |
| [Author: Abhi Datta Majumdar; Professor, Saha Institute | | | | everything will be under attack. The moment they find |
| of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. Translation by Rama | | | | it uncongenial to their interest all the time-servers of |
| Kundu from the Dainik Statesman, 29 & 30 June 2007] | | | | today will wind up their trade and scurry away; but |
| [2] | | | | they will leave behind a poisonous killer field. Those |
| [Author: Abhi Datta Majumdar; Professor, Saha Institute | | | | who knowingly or unknowingly, acting at the behest of |
| of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. Translation by Rama | | | | foreign multinational companies, are taking initiative to |
| Kundu from the Dainik Statesman, 29 & 30 June 2007] | | | | set up this chemical hub, are actually forcing the |
| Let us now look back from North America to Asia. In | | | | countrymen to a devastating, horrible, grim hell. In the |
| Japan, towards the West of Kauusu there is a small | | | | name of industrialization they are actually going to stop |
| coastal village, called Minamata. During the early years | | | | all roads to development, and stop them permanently. |
| of the last century there came up the carbide factory | | | | Posterity will not forgive any of them for this crime. |
| of the Nippon Kesso Company in Minamata. As they | | | | [Author: Abhi Datta Majumdar; Professor, Saha Institute |
| could not garner enough profit by producing carbide | | | | of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. |
| only, they gradually started manufacturing from carbide | | | | |