Industrial pollution in IndiaIndustrial pollution in India

What are we What are we learning?learning?

Indian oil refineriesIndian oil refineries Shipyards in AlangShipyards in Alang The relationship The relationship

between industrial between industrial pollution and crop pollution and crop yields in Indiayields in India

1. India refineries told to clean up1. India refineries told to clean up Authorities in India's Authorities in India's north-eastern state of north-eastern state of AssamAssam have threatened have threatened local local oil refineriesoil refineries with with closure unless they closure unless they stopped polluting local stopped polluting local rivers. rivers.

Assam's Pollution Control Assam's Pollution Control Board has given five Board has given five refineries a year to stop refineries a year to stop discharging effluents into discharging effluents into rivers. rivers.

It says the refineries were It says the refineries were dumping effluents at dumping effluents at levels much higher than levels much higher than acceptable federal limits.acceptable federal limits.

Experts say the older oil Experts say the older oil refineries were the main refineries were the main polluters.polluters. As it was more difficult to As it was more difficult to install pollution control install pollution control equipment in their old equipment in their old equipmentequipment

The Effects of the oil refineries The Effects of the oil refineries

The refineries have The refineries have damaged to the rivers damaged to the rivers in the past 40 years. in the past 40 years.

A lot of marine life, A lot of marine life, like fish, tortoises and like fish, tortoises and the river dolphin, has the river dolphin, has almost disappeared.almost disappeared.

2. Shipyards at Alang2. Shipyards at Alang Another example of industrial pollution is Another example of industrial pollution is

Alang, the largest shipbreaking yard in Alang, the largest shipbreaking yard in the world.the world.

The 11-km coastline of the yard has The 11-km coastline of the yard has been severely polluted due to scrapping been severely polluted due to scrapping of hazardous ships of hazardous ships

The shipyards at Alang recycle The shipyards at Alang recycle approximately half of all ships salvaged approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world. The yards are located around the world. The yards are located on the Gulf of Khambat, 50 kilometres on the Gulf of Khambat, 50 kilometres southeast of Bhavnagar. southeast of Bhavnagar.

Why is it located in Gujarat?Why is it located in Gujarat? The industry has low The industry has low

running costs - it uses running costs - it uses almost no electricity or almost no electricity or machines - and labour is machines - and labour is cheap.cheap.

India's environmental and India's environmental and safety standards are much safety standards are much more lenient than those of more lenient than those of its customers, like Japan, its customers, like Japan, Korea, Russia, Germany and Korea, Russia, Germany and the United States.the United States.

Alang is perfect for shipbreaking Alang is perfect for shipbreaking because the high tides carry the because the high tides carry the vessels up the beach and vessels up the beach and wedge them into the sand. wedge them into the sand. There's no need for dry docks or There's no need for dry docks or jetties jetties

The labourers are The labourers are migrants who have migrants who have come to Gujarat from come to Gujarat from the poorest states in the poorest states in India - from Bihar, India - from Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Orissa and Uttar Pradesh Pradesh

It could be argued that It could be argued that workers were earning workers were earning well by Indian well by Indian standards. Also, the standards. Also, the shipbreakers were shipbreakers were providing jobs for the providing jobs for the poorest of India's poor poorest of India's poor and bringing valuable and bringing valuable income to Gujarat.income to Gujarat.

Greenpeace says Greenpeace says scrapped ships contain scrapped ships contain a wide range of toxic a wide range of toxic paints and substances paints and substances which are hazardous to which are hazardous to workers' health .workers' health .

Alang represents a Alang represents a dilemma for India and dilemma for India and the West. The worker the West. The worker exploitation and exploitation and environmental environmental contamination of the contamination of the shipyards has to be shipyards has to be weighed up against weighed up against their economic their economic importance. importance.

Future changes at Alang shipyardsFuture changes at Alang shipyards Owners of India's Alang ship breaking yard are Owners of India's Alang ship breaking yard are

looking into hiring an looking into hiring an outside firm to conduct outside firm to conduct asbestos removalasbestos removal in an attempt to improve their in an attempt to improve their image among environmental groups, such as image among environmental groups, such as Greenpeace and increase business which has Greenpeace and increase business which has declined following negative reports about working declined following negative reports about working conditions and disputes with other countries.conditions and disputes with other countries.

The move could save the lives of workers by reducing The move could save the lives of workers by reducing their exposure to toxic materials but thus far their exposure to toxic materials but thus far asbestos is the only material among lead, PCBs and asbestos is the only material among lead, PCBs and others that would normally require special handling others that would normally require special handling procedures elsewhere. procedures elsewhere.

The move is aimed at The move is aimed at generating revenue that has generating revenue that has been lost to competing shipyardsbeen lost to competing shipyards in Pakistan and in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as a drop in steel prices. Bangladesh as well as a drop in steel prices.

3. 3. The relationship between industrial pollution and The relationship between industrial pollution and crop yields in Indiacrop yields in India

Pollution-laden clouds may Pollution-laden clouds may be partly to blame for be partly to blame for India's dwindling rice India's dwindling rice harvests, according to harvests, according to research.research.

A US teamA US team found brown found brown clouds, which cloak much of clouds, which cloak much of South Asia, have a negative South Asia, have a negative impact on rice output by impact on rice output by reducing sunlight, making it reducing sunlight, making it cooler.cooler.

The models they used suggest The models they used suggest the haze may reduce rain and the haze may reduce rain and snow over parts of western snow over parts of western central Asia by between 20% central Asia by between 20% and 40%. and 40%.

Environmental Pollution over India

These layers of air These layers of air pollution, which contain pollution, which contain soot and other fine soot and other fine particles, are primarily particles, are primarily created from burning created from burning fossil fuels. fossil fuels.

The study only looked The study only looked into farming regions into farming regions which primarily used rain which primarily used rain to water their crops. The to water their crops. The researchers said the researchers said the effect would be less effect would be less pronounced on areas pronounced on areas which relied on other which relied on other irrigation methods.irrigation methods.

India should reduce dependence on fossil fuels:India should reduce dependence on fossil fuels: to to reduce industrial pollutionreduce industrial pollution

March 16th, 2009 in Thaindian news said:March 16th, 2009 in Thaindian news said:

““If India has to continuously grow at eight to nine If India has to continuously grow at eight to nine percent, then it should reduce dependence on fossil percent, then it should reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate fuels, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran said here Monday”Change Shyam Saran said here Monday”

““Saran referred to the fear that industrialised countries Saran referred to the fear that industrialised countries would use intellectual property rights and trade would use intellectual property rights and trade competitiveness in the race to develop and use greener competitiveness in the race to develop and use greener technologies. He said these would be “major obstacles technologies. He said these would be “major obstacles for environmentally friendly technology adoption”.for environmentally friendly technology adoption”.

According to India’s According to India’s Integrated Energy Integrated Energy Policy, by 2030 India Policy, by 2030 India will be importing more will be importing more than 90 percent of oil than 90 percent of oil and about two-thirds to and about two-thirds to three-fourths of coal, three-fourths of coal, and the energy cost will and the energy cost will increase. increase.

In this regard he In this regard he reflected upon the reflected upon the National Solar Energy National Solar Energy Mission, which is a Mission, which is a project by the project by the government to reduce government to reduce India’s dependence on India’s dependence on non-renewable energy non-renewable energy sources.sources.

Thanks to the following for the use of the imagesThanks to the following for the use of the images

www.flickr.comwww.flickr.com www.pollutionarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/polluwww.pollutionarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/pollu

tiontion www.spaceandmotion.comwww.spaceandmotion.com www.stockvault.netwww.stockvault.net www.cia.govwww.cia.gov