FYI
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: ngilactioncouncil bb <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 3:32 PM Subject: Fwd: matter on kathikudam To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: ngilactioncouncil bb <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 3:28 PM Subject: matter on kathikudam To: [email protected] Dear friends, Please find the matter attached here with.We planned Peoples March from the Company Gate to Kadukutty Panchayath at 9.30 am on 20th March, 2010, Saturday demanding 1) not to renew licence to the Company, 2) prevent the Company by taking huge quantities of water from Chalakudy River without any permission and 3) stop the outlet of the discharged pipe from company to the River.We invite friends all over Kerala. Please do come. Police arrested Smt.Sindu Santhosh, Gen.Convenor, womens wing of NGIL Action Council from her house alleged that she has participated in a strike against the company, some six months ago. Now, police arrested Shri K.M.Anilkumar, Convenor of NGIL Action Council from his house charging 107 alleged that he has participated in strikes, about four years ago! PROTEST AGAINST THE HARASSMENT OF POLICE. by NGIL ACTION COUNCIL ****************************** NGIL ACTION COUNCIL KATHIKUDAM POST, CHALAKUDY, THRISSUR, KERALA Contact Nos: 9745143069, 9446763381, 9249875613, 9846626928 Kathikudam, a small and beautiful village in Trichur District Kerala, is now drawing wide attention of the public, as a result of an industrial invasion led by a multinational company. Though the evil effects of the pollution created by the company were existing for the last thirty years and the villagers have made several protests against the same , they were suppressed by the company using all its corrupt means to hide all the shocking facts from the public. Such facts are coming to light only recently due to the roaring protests of the people and the continuous effort of the action council which is formed to fight against the pollution caused by the company. The village was once known for its serene atmosphere and natural beauty, and for the abundance of fresh water, as the Chalakudy River flowing close by. The whole village was surrounded by streams everywhere. Species of birds and other living beings were in plenty making the village pleasant and lively. But now the village looks lifeless, losing all its charm and luster, making the innocent villagers victims of cancer and other dreadful diseases. Nitta Gelatin India Limited (NGIL), a company producing Ossien from the bones of slaughtered animals, is causing pollution in the entire area, extending more than ten square kilometers. The air, water and the earth is totally polluted, making the life of the people miserable, as the polluted Chalakudy River flows through, six Grama Panchayat areas. The innocent villagers who live away from the company, surrender to death, without knowing the extent of danger, the pollution creates as the company discharges its deadly hazardous effluents directly into Chalakudy River, through secret pipes. The effluents discharged into the river contains decomposed particles of flesh, marrow and bones, produced after the preliminary process of washing the bones in water and hydrochloric acid, and other hazardous chemicals, and also the sludge produced after the remaining subsequent processes. ‘Sludge’ is a grease-like effluent which floats in the water, and also very difficult to handle and hard to dry out. These effluents have a nasty smell, and it spreads a foul odour, even kilometers. The company commenced its production in 1979. Ossien and Limed Ossien are the major products. Ossien is the raw material used in the production of gelatin. About hundred and twenty tones of bones are crushed into pieces and washed every day. More than sixty tons of effluents are produced when the bones are washed in the water and hydrochloric acid. 1,20,000 litres of hydrochloric acid per day are used during this process. 62,90,200 liters of water is used for this purpose, as per official records. The water consumption may exceed up to 2 crores litres per day. The company takes water from the river without any permission from the local Panchayat. As a result of this exploitation of water, the farmers are facing severe scarcity of water during summer season, making the cultivation a heavy loss. The poor people of this village live in fear that the huge tanks, storing 30 lakhs litres of hydrochloric acid, may burst one day, making the tragedy similar to that happened in Bhopal in 1984. Like all other invasions in the history, it also took place with the company managed to get an entry into the village, promising wonderful job opportunities to the people here. Now the people realise that the promises given by the company were false, and they are cheated. The company promised job for thousands, but gave job only for 112 people. They conquered the land, confiscated the most valuable property air, water and the earth, leaving the people behind in total frustration. The air pollution that the company creates is the most horrible one. The entire area is filled with a nasty smell throughout day and night. It spreads about ten square kilometres. Women and children are mainly the victims of this foul odour. Women wake up during late hours of night, nursing their children who are struggling to get their breath. Suffocation caused by lack of oxygen and fresh air due to pollution aggravates the problem. Majority of the people are from the low income group and they spend a major share of their income to meet their hospital expenses, leaving the entire family into starvation. The company digs deep trenches and disposes the sludge into it, as it produces 60 tones of sludge everyday. It pollutes and spoils the groundwater making the well water of the entire village unfit for drinking. The sludge is again transported to different parts of the country stealthily to fill lands without the permission of the authorities and without the knowledge of the public. They sell the same to innocent people as manure and cheat them widely. The research and surveys conducted revealed several shocking facts. A number of people of this village have died of cancer for the last few years. Several others are undergoing treatment for cancer. The air pollution creates patients of Asthma, Bronchitis, Lungs Cancer and other respiratory problems. The polluted water and air causes skin diseases, learning deficiency in children, retardation both physical and mental, infertility and various other major diseases. Thousands of people were depending Chalakudy River for their bathing and washing of clothes etc. But now, scaring serious skin diseases nobody is going near the river. Still a number of drinking water project are existing on the banks of this river. Some of the pumping stations are situated near the company effluent’s outlet. A number of irrigation schemes also exist here. The state pollution control Board is keeping silence to this serious issue allowing innumerable innocents surrender to death day by day. An action council has formed to fight against this evil and have succeeded in bringing out the attention of the media, channels and activists to this most dreadful plight of the villagers. Seminars, classes, meetings, medical camps and other awareness programmes were organised. Renowned activists participated in the same. The leading television channels reported the issue Newspaper and magazines have published investigative reports and the same were well responded by leading social activists and leaders of socio-economic fields. The action council is hopeful of having a permanent solution to this serious issue. It needs the support from all those who have the genuine concern for the humanity. ******* -- 0091 9746339846 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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AC-2.doc
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