An investigative study on the use of asbestos and related ailments by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the BBC has revealed that despite bans and restrictions for the mineral in 52 world countries, it is promoted actively in developing countries. Out of the two million metric tonnes of asbestos mined worldwide in 2009, Russia and Canada are the main producers, whereas, China, India and Mexico are the main consumers.
In India and other developing countries, the demand for asbestos is aided by its role in the production of cheap building materials. Here, asbestos is mostly mixed with cement in the manufacture of corrugated roofing, water pipes and building construction. As the alternatives for asbestos products are expensive, asbestos import and sales continue to thrive despite health hazard warnings.
According to WHO statistics, 125 million people still encounter asbestos in the workplace and the UN agency ILO estimates that 100,000 workers die annually from asbestos-related diseases. These figures do not include the thousands who die outside their workplaces.
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral of the amphibole group used for making fireproof articles and building materials. However, various studies over years have proved beyond doubt that inhaling fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and carcinoma of the mesothelium lining lungs, abdomen or heart called mesothelioma. This led to the outright ban of asbestos in European Union and controlled and limited use in countries like the US.
Canada, who heads the pro-asbestos lobby, is using the mineral very little locally, while exporting the bulk of its production to developing countries; more than half of Canada’s asbestos export is to India. Canadian officials defend this trend saying that controlled use of asbestos is safe. Even if this is true, ensuring controlled use is practically impossible in developing nations, as the workplace safety and environmental laws are far from stringent.
In addition to all this is the health hazard posed by the ship breaking industry in and around the ports of Gujarat, particularly Alang. Almost 55,000 ship breakers work in Alang shipyard, the latest hotspot for mesothelioma in India. As ship breaking is a lucrative business, authorities too turn blind eye to the risk posed by the deadly fiber.
Are we waiting for another Bhopal to wake up from our mercenary-induced slumber?

