A British manufacturing company is being held accountable for polluting a small town in India’s Madhya Pradesh state through its asbestos factory.
The televised report was brought forward by ITV News. It is estimated that 1 million tonnes of asbestos waste have been deposited in Kymore.
Asbestos-contaminated dirt, dust and soil can still be found in playgrounds, sports fields, residential neighbourhoods and open land across the town.
The report highlighted the health risks for people living in the contamination.
Dr Muralidhar Venkiteswaran, a specialist diagnosing residents over the years, said, “I'm really shocked that practically everyone seems to have asbestosis in this town, in this particular town.”
“All these people will die due to suffering. It is not just dying; they will suffer a lot due to respiratory distress, a lot of money in medical expenses, and lung cancer expenses.”
Sam Holder, the investigative journalist at ITV News, said "Everywhere you walk in this area, there's asbestos. At first you think, well, maybe it's stones or rocks, but no, it is just broken pieces of asbestos.
“Exactly the kind of thing that releases potentially deadly fibres and the kind of thing that would set alarm bells ringing immediately in Britain.”
In the 1970s, a Turner & Newall doctor had reportedly urged management to better protect Indian workers from asbestos exposure.
While compensation arrangements were established for some victims, campaigners say no provision was made to fund the removal of asbestos waste remaining throughout Kymore.
The estimated clean-up cost is around £100 million, and currently there are no plans to remove the waste because the company no longer exists.
Turner & Newall became one of Britain's biggest industrial success stories before collapsing in 2001 amid extensive asbestos litigation in the UK and US.
A UK government spokesperson said: “These claims are truly shocking, and our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones as a result of these irresponsible actions.
“We expect all UK companies to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply chains, and we are also considering the findings of a review of the UK's approach to responsible business conduct.”
