Showing posts with label Bhopal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bhopal. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

MNCS: INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, POLLUTION, AND MONEY POWER

MNCs are hailed as national treasures in some countries; but their devil-may-care attitude results in many tragedies – both industrial and health – making them reasons for global shame

And when some 200 women protested against Dow for its meagre response and for not really taking any proactive mechanisms to clean up the area stacked with dangerous toxic waste which spreads many gas related diseases in the small town Bhopal, Dow sued them in return for raising voice against the company using it’s political, monetary and muscle power. When an explosion and fire ruined a fireworks factory belonging to Bright Sparkles Sdn.

Bhd. at Sungai Buloh, Malaysia in 1991, causing 22 deaths and injuring 103, Bright Sparkles remained lukewarm in helping victims and their families and compensating the environmental damages it has caused. The lethal leak of phosgene gas in a Thai petrochemical company, Thai Polycarbonate Co., which killed only one but injured over hundreds, evoked almost no unified response, despite shocking proof being there of repeated calls earlier on warning of a possible leak. And the fiery explosion at one of the largest oil refineries of British Petroleum in Texas City in 2005, is another example of such unabashed irresponsibility. Well, BP has had a sparkling record of fatal accidents for the last few decades. Honourably so, it is the eighth largest polluter in the US, releasing over 5.1 million tonnes of pollutants with many harmful toxic gases like carcinogens, causing serious health ill-effects to 30,000 people living within three mile radius of its units. But while FBI investigation and imposition of new laws and fines continues, BP operates mercifully at worse levels.

On another front, Nigeria has redefined corporate social irresponsibility. Companies like Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron are reaping off the nation’s oil industry but continue showing deliberate negligence to protecting the environment, human life and the locality which have been affected by the gas leakage and flares in their plants or refineries.

Protocols like the Kyoto one are more stupidly chivalrous rather than being autocratically (and logically) regulatory. International agencies have to necessarily regulate MNCs with an iron hand, than play to the lobby gallery.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

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Saturday, August 04, 2012

BHEL TOWNSHIP, BHOPAL

First impressions of the bhel bhopal township are anything but encouraging. but as Manish K. Pandey delves into the details, he finds that bhel could well be on its way to bringing back the good old days

“Now with recruitment being done at all levels, the hustle and bustle will soon return to the township,” the senior official told me. In fact, as per his claim, the Town Administration Department (TAD) at Piplani (which is functioning from 4-5 out of 13 intern hostels that have been allotted to the department by BHEL management) has already allocated a huge fund for the repair of roads inside the township in anticipation of this influx. The department is even said to have allocated Rs.90-100 million for the renovation of trainees’ hostel. Community centres, too, will be coming up at a fast pace all across the township.

But what about Nehru’s real expectation from these temples of modern India – the empowerment of the common man, and hence the society? Shrikant Deshpande (name changed), a Senior Engineer with BHEL Bhopal for over 30 years says, “I joined BHEL Bhopal 30 years ago as an artisan... BHEL not only gave me an opportunity to go for higher studies but also provided me with a springboard that catapulted my career to great heights,” reminisces Deshpande with a smile.

Clearly, BHEL is not without its fair share of passionate supporters. To enable many more such smiles on the faces of its current and future employees, BHEL has to renovate its township infrastructure at the earliest. And considering their past record of business and service, one would certainly want to give them the benefit of doubt.

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