Save our Lakes... Save our Lives
The study villages for the epidemiological survey were
Bonthapally, Chitkul, Digwal, Gaddapotharam, Kazhipally,
Kistareddypet, Pashamialaram, Pocharam and Sultanpur from
Patancheru, Jinnaram and Kohir Mandals. The villages of the control
groups were Musapet, Ramojipally, Uthloor and Veerojipally of the
Shankarampet Mandal.
The survey very clearly illustrates that there is an
overwhelming increase in most types of systemic diseases across the
study group as compared to the control group. Clinically confirmed
cancer is 11 times higher in the study group. Diseases of the
respiratory system affect 1 in every 20 people. The prevalence of
heart diseases is 16 times higher in the study group. Key systems
such as nervous, digestive and circulatory have been damaged and
congenital malformations amongst others are rampant simply because
the community has been exposed to a cocktail of chemical poisons
for over two decades now.
"The study started on the premise of finding evidence of people
affected by pollution," said Bidhan Chandra Singh, Toxics
Campaigner, Greenpeace India, "But the results are far more
shocking than we had expected."
The
study was undertaken to estimate the impact of pollution on the
health of the community at Medak. An open-ended exploratory
questionnaire was administered to document the health related
information of the study group. These results were then compared to
the results of a control group - people belonging to similar
demographic groups but less exposed to pollution. An advisory board
comprising of a team of medical experts was involved in the design
of the study and in resolving issues like scientific biases,
sampling sizes, study ethics, selection of study and control groups
and statistical analysis. This comparative study conducted in nine
study villages and four control villages, examined and documented
the impacts of pollution on the health of 10, 874 individuals.
Thousands of acres of agricultural land in villages in and
around Patancheru have been rendered fallow due to the unchecked
abuse of the cheruvus by industries located in the vicinity. Medak,
famous for its lakes that were once thriving with fish and other
aquatic species, irrigating vast tracts of land and served as
drinking water source have been reduced to dead water bodies.
Though these industrial estates were set up to develop the
surrounding regions and to create jobs, the opposite has
happened.
"Polluting industries are able to operate in relative freedom,
given the insidious nature of the problem. We want the government
to act now in the interest of public health and the environment. It
is incumbent upon the state to undertake further comprehensive
investigation and push the industry to shift to clean production to
retard and reverse the ongoing environmental and human catastrophe.
How much more must the hapless communities endure before the
profit- seekers are punished?" said Bidhan Chandra Singh.
Greenpeace has been galvanizing the community to regain control
of their environment through initiating people's science activities
and highlighting how the community can use existing laws to extract
information from the industry. It is evident that people living
around these industrial estates have not received justice even
after all these years. Greedy criminal corporations continue to rob
them of their fundamental right to clean air and water, while
pliant bureaucracies turn a blind eye to the situation.
In light of the findings of the study, Greenpeace demands
that:
· The state and industries must provide immediate health
assistance to the communities at Medak, and also undertake
long-term medical rehabilitation of affected persons.
· The government must declare a state of chemical crisis in the
area with immediate effect.
· The industries should ensure Zero discharge of toxic effluents
into the water bodies with immediate effect.
· Full Disclosure with immediate effect: Comprehensive
information should be made available to the local medical
professionals and the community at Medak about the health effects
of the chemicals used in industrial products and processes and in
the wastes generated by the industry.
For further information contact: Bidhan Chandra Singh, Toxics
Campaigner, Greenpeace India: +91 98455 354054
Thangamma Monnappa, Media Liaison, Greenpeace India:
+919845437337
See Report (part1)
See Report (part2)
Read about Greenpeace's Patancheru Campaign
More Greenpeace Reports:
Status of Human Health at the Eloor Industrial Belt, Kerala
Arrested Development - The Impacts of Pesticides on Children's Mental Health and Development