Asbestos

Asbestos

Subject : Environment

Asbestos is a silicate compound found naturally in the environment and the mining operations used to extract it from the hills which had a rich source of this compound.

Asbestos is a strong incombustible fibre which is used for fireproofing and insulation. It also has a very high tensile strength. Consequently, it has umpteen uses — cement roofing sheets and piping and textile and automobile industries.

Asbestos and Human Health:

• According to the World Health Organisation, all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic and approximately half of the deaths from occupational cancer are estimated to be caused by asbestos.
• Globally, about 70 countries have banned the use of asbestos, but those such as the US, India and China have not.
• Asbestosis is a notified disease under The Mines Act, 1952. In asbestosis, the disease manifestation can take 20-30 years.
• Exposure to asbestos occurs through inhalation of fibres in air in the working environment, ambient air in the vicinity of point sources such as factories handling asbestos, or indoor air in housing and buildings containing friable (crumbly) asbestos materials. WHO claims that around 125 million people around the world are exposed to asbestos in their workplace.

Status of Asbestosis’ use in India:

• Many countries have banned its extraction and usage. However, India still imports the compound and uses it in the automobile sector, talcum powder, construction and other sectors.
• According to government data, in 2019-20, India imported 361,164 tonnes of asbestos. The main imports were through Russia (85 percent), Brazil, Kazakhstan and Hungary (three percent each), besides imports from Poland and South Africa. India is also said to be the largest importer of asbestos in the world. However, the government records claim that the imports have declined in the past few years.

Legal Battle:

• In 1988, under the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988, GOI talked about restoring and reclaiming the mined areas for sustainable development. Despite the laws being there, several miners continue to flout the reclamation and restoration laws.
• The Supreme Court of India in a landmark judgement in 1995 had asked the asbestos industries to pay compensation for the health hazards to their workers besides ordering asbestos industries to keep health records of their employees for 40 years since their recruitment and up to 15 years after they leave the company besides their accurate diagnosis.
• In 2019, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked the Jharkhand government to ensure scientific removal of the dumped asbestos from the Roro Village. The state government vowed to use the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds and other resources to mitigate the effects of exposure to asbestos to the village. But, in 2022, the dumped waste continues to lie in the open, and the local tribal community is exposed to it.