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Chemical Hub: the Dire Threat

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




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