Villagers protest against private firm ‘polluting’ groundwater

They allege effluents let out by it affect people in surrounding villages

RAMANATHAPURAM

People of the coastal Panaikulam panchayat and members of CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Koottamaippu took out a rally and staged a demonstration at Panaikulam near here on Saturday, demanding the closure of ‘South Ganga’ a private firm which, they alleged, polluted groundwater.

Carrying the “polluted water” in pots, a large number of women participated in the protest, alleging that the private firm, which had been functioning at Krishnapuram village for about 12 years, completely spoiled groundwater by letting out ‘chemical effluents’ along the coast and waterbodies.

Though the firm had commenced operation as desalination plant to supply treated water to private power plants, it started releasing effluents in the open along the coastline and a village pond, thus polluting groundwater table, H. John Soundararajan, CITU district president, said.

The villagers who had been drawing water from the pond for bathing and washing purposes could not touch the water now, he said, adding the effluents posed serious health hazards to the local people.

After consuming the water, Suresh (16), a class X boy, and Murugan (27) had died, and Alexander (14), a school student, and Panneerselvam (27) were undergoing treatment in private hospitals for kidney ailments, M. Karunamurthy, district secretary of the Koottamaippu, said.

R. Karumalayan, CITU State deputy general secretary, who led the protest, said the CITU proposed to take up the issue with the green tribunal and move the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court if the district administration failed to close down the private firm.

He also urged the government to pay compensation to the families of the deceased and bear the medical expenses of the two persons undergoing treatment.

A veil of secrecy prevailed here as the company never allowed local village leaders to visit the factory, K. Chinnathambi, leader of Krishnapuram people, said. The effluents had polluted groundwater in at least six villages in the panchayat, he said.

The private firm could not be contacted for its comments.

When contacted, Collector S. Natarajan said officials from the District Food Safety Wing visited the private firm and the nearby villages. A team of experts had been constituted to study the situation, he said, adding “necessary action will be taken after the team submitted its report”.

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TACKLE NUTRITION

Because India faces a double-burden of malnutrition, (over-nutrition and under-nutrition), there is need to adopt a multi-sectoral nutritional approach

India has witnessed noteworthy improvement in health and nutrition in the last decade, especially among children. The recently released fourth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 data, compared to the third round of NFHS (2004-05) data shows that stunting (low height-for-age) levels have reduced by seven per cent (from 45 to 38); underweight (low weight-for-age) by five per cent (from 40 to 35) and wasting (low weight-for-height) by two per cent (from 23 to 21). These declines are encouraging but not substantial. More than a quarter of the children in the country continue to suffer from one or the other type of malnutrition.

Further, anaemia continues to affect 50 per cent of women, including pregnant women, and 60 per cent of children in the country. While anaemia prevalence has decreased in children by 20 per cent points, from 79 per cent to 59 per cent, the change is not so significant in women (three per cent decline) or in pregnant women (eight per cent decline). Anaemia is also on rise among men, currently at 22 per cent.

The problem of malnutrition and undernutrition on one hand, is compounded by the rising trend of obesity among Indians. Latest NHFS data show an upward increase in the levels of obesity among both men (seven per cent) increase from 12 to 19) and women (six per cent increase from 15 to 21). Furthermore, around six per cent of women and eight per cent of men suffer from diabetes; seven per cent and 10 per cent of women and men suffer from hypertension respectively. This double burden of undernutrition and growing percentage of obesity, hypertension and diabetes puts a dent on the country's growing asset (healthy human resource).

Another indicator highlighting malnutrition in India, is its ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHI). India ranks lower than other developing countries from the region on global indexes measuring hunger and malnutrition. It ranked 97 out of 118 countries (scoring 28.5 falling under serious category) in the GHI 2016. Though this score has improved from the earlier score of 36 in 2008, the nation is still one of the worst performers in the region. Out of a total of four components for calculating GHI, three are nutrition parameters (underweight population, wasting and stunting in children) indicating the highly unsatisfactory state of nutrition in the country. As per the Global Nutrition Report (2016), India ranks 114th out of 132 countries on under-five stunting and 120th out of 130 countries on under-five wasting and 170th out of 185 countries on prevalence of anaemia. 

To address the problem of malnutrition and under-nutrition, the Indian Government has taken important steps, such as the release of fortification standards for five staples by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to fight micronutrient malnutrition, release of food composition tables by the National Institute of Nutrition to increase focus on dietary diversity, and now, the release of nutrition data to address the issue of malnutrition more holistically.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-2 goal, which aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”, is a priority area for India, which can offer key solutions for hunger and poverty eradication and also tackle the issue of malnutrition and undernourishment in the country. To achieve the SDG target, a number of steps are being taken globally and in the country by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). One of FAO's strategic objective is to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition globally. The FAO looks at nutrition from the perspective of food and agriculture-based approaches as the sustainable long-term solution to hunger and malnutrition. A pilot harnessing the power of modern day technology for improving the health and nutrition behaviours among tribal populations in the state of Odisha has just been initiated.

Because India is facing a double-burden of malnutrition: Over-nutrition and under-nutrition existing simultaneously, there is a pressing need for a multi-sectoral approach along with nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions to address the problems holistically. For this, there is a need to reiterate the priorities which may include, spreading of knowledge and awareness regarding safe food, diversifying food baskets, putting women and children at the centre of any nutritional intervention and leverage on modern technologies to impart nutrition-linked messages and sustainable agricultural practices.

After clampdown, meat sellers apply for licences

Noida: The meat sellers in the city, who are in a panic mode following a sudden clampdown by Noida Authority in the wake of state government orders, are now applying with the district administration for registration certificates.

TOI reported on Sunday that according to Noida Authority's department of public health, no licence had been granted to any meat shop under its jurisdiction. They had issued licence to only one slaughterhouse and one meat processing unit in Greater Noida, suggesting that over a thousand shops and outlets are illegal. Interestingly, several meat shop owners were found to have a registration certificate from the district department following a reality check.

However, the administration is now allowing these shopkeepers to get a certificate by applying under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

After the Authority carried out demolitions in Sector 62 and removed meat shops in several parts of the city including Sector 5 and Sector 44 in last few days, meat sellers are running from pillar to post to understand the process of registration. "I have been running the shop for almost a year now. I never faced such a hassle before. However, on Friday, some police officers asked me if I had a license to run my shop. When I told them that I did not know about the requirement of any such certificate, they directed me to apply for one," said Laqeef Ahmed, a chicken biryani shop owner in Sector 44.

Another meat shop owner in Sector 46 said, "Several cops visited the Som Bazar on Wednesday and ordered shut down of the meat shops. Most of us are now in a fix.."