Sludge Watch ==> INDIA - Report confirms water pollution by Coca-Cola - Contaminated sludge - too

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/136717/1/1893

Indian report confirms water pollution by Coca-Cola

San Francisco (July 20, 2006):

The Coca-Cola company has severely polluted the groundwater around its 
bottling plant in Plachimada in south India, according to a new report 
released in New Delhi yesterday.

The Hazards Centre and the People's Science Institute tested nine water 
samples within a one kilometer radius of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the 
south Indian state of Kerala and concluded that "the total natural water 
resources surrounding the Coca-Cola plant in Plachimada are contaminated."

All the water samples, collected from open wells, hand pumps and borewells 
in the area, failed to meet the safety standards for drinking water 
prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) - ensuring that the 
groundwater was no longer suitable for human consumption.

All the samples showed excessive levels of chromium, eight samples showed 
excessive levels of cadmium and six samples showed excessive levels of lead. 
The water samples were collected in November 2005.

In addition to the risks posed to the community by the presence of heavy 
metals in the water, the report also cautioned that cadmium and lead can 
enter the body easily through the food chain. The report also noted that the 
community did not experience water quality problems prior to the 
establishment of the Coca-Cola bottling plant, and that the deep aquifer 
systems have now been contaminated. The report also notes that agricultural 
production has been negatively affected in the area.

The report is the latest in a series of studies that have confirmed 
pollution by the Coca-Cola company. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board 
(KSPCB) had also found high levels of lead and cadmium in the sludge from 
Coca-Cola's plant, and ordered the plant to "stop production of all kinds of 
products with immediate effect" on August 19, 2005.

The Coca-Cola bottling plant in Plachimada has remained shut down since 
March 2004, and the Coca-Cola company has challenged the closure in the 
courts. In spite of the growing body of evidence, the Coca-Cola company 
continues to maintain that there is no pollution by their plants.

The Coca-Cola company was also distributing its sludge to farmers in the 
area as fertilizer. Tests conducted in 2003 by the Central Pollution Control 
Board of India, as well as the British Broadcasting Corporation, confirmed 
that the sludge contained high levels of cadmium and lead, effectively 
making it toxic waste. Coca-Cola was forced to stop the distribution of the 
sludge by government authorities, and ordered to treat the waste as 
hazardous waste.

"The state must permanently shut down the Coca-Cola plant in Plachimada. The 
company has destroyed the natural resources in the area through negligence, 
and we will continue to demand that Coca-Cola be held responsible for the 
damages, including criminal and financial liability," said R. Ajayan of the 
Plachimada Solidarity Committee, an alliance of groups in the state of 
Kerala working actively to challenge the Coca-Cola company.

The Coca-Cola company has been the target of community campaigns across 
India accusing the company of creating severe water shortages and pollution 
around its bottling plants.

In related developments, the Coca-Cola company announced on Tuesday that its 
sales in India had dropped another 12% in the last quarter, adding to 
Coca-Cola's worries in India which it has identified as a key emerging 
market. Coca-Cola's sales in India have declined for eight consecutive 
quarters.

Also on Tuesday, the Coca-Cola company was ejected from the prestigious $8 
billion TIAA-CREF Social Choice Account fund. The consultants to TIAA-CREF, 
KLD Research & Analytics, recommended the move because of the company's 
questionable environmental practices in India, labor problems in Colombia, 
and the continued marketing of soft drinks to children. TIAA-CREF is one of 
the largest financial services companies in the United States, with over 
$380 billion in assets.

The campaigns in India are also receiving tremendous support 
internationally, particularly with colleges and universities in the United 
States and United Kingdom campaigning to revoke Coca-Cola's contracts until 
they meet the demands of the communities.

"It is only a matter of time before Coca-Cola is forced to acknowledge and 
act on its mistakes in India," said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource 
Center, an international campaigning organization that works closely with 
Indian communities to apply pressure on Coca-Cola internationally. "We ask 
people to think before they drink, and given the facts, we are confident 
that people will refuse to drink Coca-Cola until it cleans up its act."

Also see the report, Ground Water Resources in Plachimada that details water 
pollution by the Hazards Centre and People's Science Institute.