As a May Day gift of sort contrary to the commitment to worker’s welfare, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government continues to allow trade in asbestos and now its plan to lift the ban on mining of this killer fiber after the permission to allow Indian workers to get exposed to the asbestos laden toxic Danish ship is a telling comment on the ironical way this worker freindly government makes its polcies.

Despite the UPA government’s Common Minimum Programme which “is firmly committed to ensure the welfare and well-being of all workers, particularly those in the unorganised sector who constitute 93% of our workforce” and its commitment for expansion of social security, health insurance and other schemes, Union Ministry of Mines plan to lift the ban on expansion of cancer causing asbestos fiber’s mining is alarming.

So far, the ban on mining of asbestos has not been lifted but there are plans afoot to lift the ban as per the information given by the Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 29th April.

Given the fact that grant of fresh mining leases and renewal of existing mining leases for asbestos are presently banned in India on health grounds, one wonders as to how a fiber which is deemed carcinogenic in 40 countries including the entire Europe is deemed non-carcinogenic and safe for Indian workers and citizens by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), a subordinate office of the Ministry of Mines.

Thirty 30 deaths are caused per day from asbestos-related diseases as per estimates based on US and European studies. White asbestos continues to be in use in India although other kinds such as blue and brown asbestos are banned.

Earlier when the inclusion of white asbestos was first proposed in November 2003, it was opposed by Indian Government in a manifest double speak because in August 2003, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare had informed the Upper House of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) that Studies by the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, have shown that exposure to any type of asbestos can lead to the development of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.



Since both blue and white asbestos is hazardous and there is no cure for diseases caused due to asbestos exposure. The most vulnerable and affected people are the workers in asbestos manufacturing units who work under extremely hazardous conditions, said M K Pandhe of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).



We are optimistic about the fact that ultimately the misinformation campaign of the industry will get defeated and public health hazard due to exposure to asbestos will get exposed, said Dr T K Joshi, director, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, New Delhi.

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) appeals to all the sane legislators, Ministers in the present Government and members of the civil society to initiate action to get asbestos trade banned in right earnest and do not get misled by vested interests in lifting the ban on asbestos. There is an unrecognised urgency to circumvent incurable diseases caused by asbestos which has led an epidemic in Europe and US due to past expsoure.