Promises broken, justice delayed

Groundwater contamination around Union Carbide factory is now officially confirmed

The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) has confirmed that the groundwater around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal is contaminated. In its report submitted to the Supreme Court on September 25, the IITR stated that the levels of heavy metals like lead, nitrate and nickel are much more than the permissible limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

‘Government of MP has always tried to fudge data’

What has been the response of Madhya Pradesh government on questions regarding supply of clean drinking water? Interviewee:  Rachna Dhingra

Polluters get away by making ad hoc payment to farmers

Once known as the vegetable basket of western India, Luna village and surrounding areas in Padra taluka of Gujarat's Vadodara district are now famous for borewells that spew reddish brown water. These are referred to as “Thumbs Up borewells”, named after an Indian brand of cola drink. Laboratory tests by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) earlier this year shows that nearly half the borewells in the region are contaminanted by effluents produced by the neighbouring pharmaceutical and industrial dyes, which give the water the reddish brown hue.

Bokaro's displaced still await compensation

It's been over four decades since India's first indigenous steel plant was set up in Jharkhand. But the scene near the Bokaro Steel Plant or BSL (the plant was earlier called Bokaro Steel Limited) is no different from what can be seen in other parts of the country—farmers protesting land acquisitions for large industrial hubs and real estate development. People whose land was acquired for the plant can be seen wielding hockey sticks and holding protests. The latest round of protests is against a new steel plant being set up by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), which manages the plant, jointly with the South Korean steel giant, Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO). The joint venture is a Rs 15,000 crore project which initially will produce half a million tonnes steel annually.