Organizations in India demand government to stop allowing use of asbestos

New Delhi, India – Many labor unions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India have banded together to issue a demand to the government that it place a ban on the use of the deadly substance, asbestos, in the country.

The thirteen groups have released a report titled alleging that there exists a collaborative relationship between the government and the asbestos industry.

At a news conference today, General Secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, P.K. Ganguly, cited reports from the World Health Organization. He said that the reports give proof that all types of asbestos are dangerous to the health of those that come in contact with them. Chrysotile asbestos, a widely used form in India and other developing countries, is one of the most toxic types of asbestos.

Environmental agencies in the country have been fighting against the use of asbestos for a long time. It is estimated that about 100,000 people worldwide die each year as a result of an asbestos exposure-related disease.

Chrysotile, which makes up more than 95 percent of asbestos usage worldwide, has been banned in over 40 countries due to the amount of health conditions that it has caused. However India’s government, as well as a few others, is opposing chrysotile’s inclusion on the list of hazardous substances.

The workers in India most at risk to asbestos exposure are those working in the ship-breaking industry, where they are often exposed to the material when in the process of taking apart ships.

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