Asbestos and asbestos-based industries are listed under 'Red' categories’ by Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India as heavily polluting and covered under Central Action Plan. The Maharshtra Pollution Control Board also lists them in the same category. Also the Indian Minister of Health informed that asbestos exposure causes lung cancer and death in the Lower House

In the context of the above the following works of Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra is ironical.

Providing and fixing 6.00mm thick Asbestos Cement Semi Corrugated (Big size) sheet roofing including galvanised iron J or L hook bolts galvanised iron and bituminous G.I.washers,galvanised iron clamps and bolts and nuts and scaffolding.

Providing and fixing 6 mm thick Asbestos Cement semi-corrugated (Trafford) sheet roofing including galvanised iron 'J' or 'L' hooks bolts and galvanised iron and bituminous washers, galvanised iron clamps, bolts and nuts including scaffolding.

Providing and fixing 6 mm thick Asbestos Cement ridge capping for roofing including galvanised iron hooks, bolts, galvanised iron and bituminous washers, galvanised iron clamps, bolts and nuts including scaffolding.

Providing and fixing asbestos cement cowl ventilators in asbestos cement sheet roofing at required places, including all fixing accessories and scaffolding necessary.

Providing and fixing false ceiling of plain asbestos cement sheets 4mm thick with country teak wood beadings 45 X 12 mm with frame work of country teak wood battens of size 70 X 60 mm at 1.20 M centre to centre including scaffolding, if necessary, all iron work and painting (visible surfaces) to A.C. sheet and beading in two coats.

Providing and fixing asbestos cement (60cm.x15cm.x 23cm. valley gutters of approved size and make including drop ends,stop ends, necessary fixtures & fastening the same as per code of standard practice. [ Spec.No. : As directed by Engineer incharge.]

The Indian government has lowered import duties for asbestos by 68% between 1995-2000, giving asbestos imports a decided advantage over polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers, whose duties are at about the levels that asbestos was in 1995.

This is one reason that attempts by (Belgium’s) Etex affiliate Eternit Everest to replace asbestos in corrugated roofing with PVA failed in 2001. The company had converted a plant in Maharashtra and announced plans to do likewise with 3 other plants, making PVA-cement roofing and flat cement sheets using coir fiber. But in recent months, Etex’s 52% share in Eternit Everest was bought out by ACC, a large cement firm that had previously owned a 26% share, and the Maharashtra plant is now reportedly being reconverted to use asbestos.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) of January 31, 2004 reinforces what environmental groups have been saying for many years. Many thousands of workers have already suffered long, slow and painful deaths because of exposure to asbestos. Ban Asbestos Network of India complements BMJ for publishing this paper.

BBC must also be commended for promoting BMJ paper warning of the dangers from all forms of asbestos and the soaring rate of mesothelioma. The serious health damage to the people who are exposed to white asbestos is now a corroborated and undisputed fact.

“Many countries are seeing the rising tide of an epidemic, and all doctors need to know how to recognise and diagnose this disease and what treatments are available,” the BMJ editorial says.

But there are NGOs such as One Nature, which terms asbestos cement as “eco-friendly”. It claims that following its successful efforts in favour of asbestos cement and in India, state governments like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu reverted the ban (or potential ban) on asbestos cement pipes and they changed their buying specifications / preferences for ISO + 5 Kg asbestos cement pipes. Thereafter Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have successfully started using ISO + 5 Kg asbestos cement pipes for water supply since 1999 and have saved crores of rupees. The estimated savings for Maharashtra pending schemes of Rs. 2000 crores is about Rs. 700 crores. It claims that following its intervention government of India had stopped the process of banning Asbestos Cement products. WTO admitted that their decision against Asbestos trade was hurried and was taken under tremendous lobby pressure.

One Nature team includes V. Ranganathan {Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra}, Dr. Suresh Motwani {Medical Doctor, Visionary Entrepreneur}, Prof. H. S. Shankar {Professor of Chemical, Bio-Chemical & Environmental Engg., IIT Bombay} . J. Sahni {Secretary, Finance & Info-Tech, Govt. Of Maharashtra}, O P Khullar {Deputy Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards}, Ram Chawla {Chemical Engineer, London}, Deepak Mepani {Social Activist, Founder of Sulabh Movement in Mumbai}, . Joy Manglani {Chemical Engineer, B Tech., IIT Delhi}, Nirav Bhalavat {Chemical Engineer}, Ms. Preeta Sharma {Computer Engineer}, . Manoj P. Gopalani {Computer Engineer, Management}, Lancy Sequeira, Nitesh Pawar, Omar Abdullah {Former Minister of State for External Affairs, Govt. of India}, Prof. R.S. Sirohi {Director, IIT Delhi}, Hemant Batra {Advocate; Secretary, SAARCLAW- A Lawyers Assn of SAARC countries}, P. C. Tripathi {Joint Director General, DGFT, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India}, N Mukherjee {Corporate and Public Relations}, Varun Arya {B. Tech., IIT; MBA, IIM; Director of Aravali Institute of Management}, Peter A. Relan {Leading C.T.O., Software Technology, Silicon Valley}, Prof. Vibhas Madan {Head, Dept of International Economics, Drexel University, Philadelphia}, Dr. Sharad Malik {Professor of Information Technology, Princeton University} U.K.: Ray Heslop (Engineering Advisor, WaterAid, London}, Geneva: Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury {Spl. Advisor to UNCTAD on Least Developed Countries, Former Ambassador of Bangladesh to the UN} Bangkok: Dr. Orapin Mookdadilok {Occupational Health and Safety}, Germany: Dr. Doris Braun {Occupational Health & Safety}.

"No low income housing group structures should be covered by asbestos sheets as the same are highly carcinogenic and harmful to the residents. The previous government’s short-sightedness should not be repeated," opines Matanhy Saldanha MLA from United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP). Saldanha is part of the Goa state’s ruling coalition.

The epidemic will peak in 2015-2020, both in Britain and Europe, although the peak has probably already passed in the United States, which acted faster to curb asbestos use. Countries like India in South Asia wait for their turn despite these global evidences since both the government and the national media (The Times of India Group, The Hindustan Times, Indian Express Group) have joined hands to promote asbestos in a huge way unmindful of the health disaster it would lead to.