Community Environmental Monitoring

1
Community Environmental Monitoring

• Project Update
• October 8, 2005

2
Cuddalore Geographical Location

• 200 km of Chennai
• Area rich in minerals
• Robust fishing area,
• villages primarily
• dependent on fishing
• Presence of SIPCOT
• Industrial Estate

3
NGO Information

• The Other Media (New Delhi-based) in
  collaboration with FEDCOT (consumer rights org),
  Global Community Monitor (U.S. based grassroots
  environmental org), and village volunteers.
• Project Coordinator Shweta Narayan
• Project Advisors Nityanand Jayaraman, Denny
  Larson, Madhu Dutta, M. Nizamudeen
• More info about project http//www.sipcotcuddalo
  re.com/index2.html

4
Project Background

• Concentration of chemical,
• pharmaceutical, petrochemical,
• and fertilizer companies.
• Extensive air pollution,
• groundwater contamination
• leading to chronic ailments and
• loss in productivity of land and
• water.
• Lack of stringent enforcement
• of environmental regulations by
• TNPCB

5
Goals of CEM Project

• To provide an organized voice against pollution
  by mobilizing communities affected by industrial
  pollution
• Communities should be able to
• generate information about sources and impacts
  of pollution on health and environment.
• By researching and deploying inexpensive tools
  allowing local communities to monitor their
  environment.
• present this information in a credible and
  scientific manner.
• By equipping members with skills on documentation
  of pollution, air and water sampling.
• organize themselves for combating the issue of
  pollution.
• By equipping communities to publish and use the
  results of the analyses.

6
Project Components

• Air pollution monitoring bucket brigade
  technique
• Ground and river water monitoring analyzing
  and interpreting water samples for basic quality
  parameters
• Incident monitoring documenting all types of
  pollution including spills, emissions, fish
  kills, occupational injury, poisoning
• First aid, emergency response in the event of
  industrial disasters
• Legal education
• Ongoing struggles against setting up of
  landfills, new industries in the area.

7
CEM Project Updates Documenting Pollution

• Conducted extensive studies to document air and
  water pollution.
• Chemical Odor Incidents in SIPCOT Industrial Area
  (Aug 2004)
• Gas Trouble Air Quality in SIPCOT (Sep 2004)
• Groundtruths Status of Hazardous Wastes and
  Pollution in SIPCOT Chemical Estate (Jan 2005)
• Status of Groundwater in Villages Around SIPCOT
  Chemical Estate (Jan 2005)
• Gas Trouble II Air Quality Status and Assessment
  of TNPCBs Compliance to Supreme Court Monitoring
  Committee Order (May 2005)

8
CEM Project Update Government Reactions

• Madras High Court direction to State legal aid
  cell to file PIL and TNPCB asked to respond.
• Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous
  Waste Management order to CPCB to set ambient air
  quality standards for toxic gases (Sep 2004).
• Supreme Court Monitoring Committee order to
  TNPCB to bring down by June 2005 air pollution
  level below U.S. EPA-prescribed safe level or
  companies to shut down.

9
CEM Project Update Mobilizing Local Communities

• Integral part of CEM is to mobilize local
  communities to fight against pollution done
  through outreach and communication.
• Campaign against setting up of hazardous
• waste landfill in Gummidipoondi.
• Campaign against Chemplast PVC project
• Campaign against expansion of industrial estate

S. Ramanathan
10
CEM Project Update Overall Assessment

• Extensive media coverage in Hindu, Indian
  Express, Deccan Chronicle, and Frontline
  magazine.
• Generated lot of community support especially,
  village panchayats and women.
• Support from Supreme Court committee, State
  Human Rights Commission, Indian Peoples Tribunal
  on Environment and Human Rights.
• TNPCB business as usual attitude