Cancer threat leaves railway station
Twenty-five years after world recognised that asbestos dust can cause cancer, asbestos sheets are being removed from Kalupur railway station
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, April 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=200904032009040303263865826891de)
Passengers can breathe easy. The Kalupur railway station is scrapping ‘cancer-causing’ asbestos sheets. Railway authorities are replacing them with steel sheets at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. While the railways should have done this about 25 years ago when the world recognised the hazard of asbestos, it is better late than never. The new sheets will be more aesthetic and stronger compared to conventional asbestos sheets
The railways stopped using asbestos sheets to provide shelter on platforms after knowing that the sheets might cause cancer to people. “The work will be over in a month,” said Uday Shankar Jha, senior DCM (Ahmedabad division). Listing other reasons for bringing in the change, Jha said, “Asbestos sheets needed a lot of maintenance. We had to replace them every year as it broke easily if an animal like a monkey jumped on it. Gusty winds and rain could also bring down an asbestos shelter. Steel sheets are a lot sturdier, providing better protection to passengers.”Countrywide project Kalupur is not the only station that will receive the ‘facelift’. “As we receive funds, we will replace asbestos sheets in railway stations at Gandhidham and other areas under our division. The change will be implemented in a few months,” said Jha.The decision to change the sheets was taken by the Railway Board and will be implemented throughout the country in phases. The Northern-Central Railway has begun the process by putting up steel sheets at the Allahabad railway station.
Irreversible damage
Asbestos is well recognised as a health hazard. Inhalation of the mineral can cause asbestosis, cancer of the lung and cancer of the thin membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal organs. There is no curative treatment.While white asbestos mining is currently banned in India, its import, export or use in manufacturing is permitted.In India, asbestos is used to make pipes for water supply, sewage and drainage, packing material, brake linings in automobiles, heavy equipment and thermal plants.Studies reveal that the demand for asbestos in India is around 100,000 tonnes, a fifth of which is mined domestically. In addition, raw asbestos worth Rs 100 million is imported every year mainly from Canada and Russia, the two major producers of the mineral.Thirty deaths are caused every day from asbestos-related diseases as per estimates based on US and European studies.
Asbestos regulation in india
» Environmental monitoring and health surveys have led to in-depth studies in asbestos based industries in India since 1984.
» Workers exposed to asbestos have a maximum impairment in their pulmonary function test. They and consumers also suffer from the exposure to asbestos. Its incubation period is long, it takes as long as 25 to 30 years for the fibres to make their presence felt in the human body but by then it is incurable.
» In the developed countries, insurance companies have stopped covering workers employed in asbestos factories and mines.
» The Central government ordered the state governments in 1986 not to grant any new mining lease for asbestos (including chrysotile variety). In June 1993, the central government stopped the renewal of existing mining leases of asbestos.
» The ban was imposed in phases but not on its use, manufacture, export and import. But despite the ban on mining, illegal mines are operating in the some states.
» In addition to cement, asbestos is also used in brakes, clutch linings, and gaskets in motor cars, as well as insulation and fireproofing in buildings and warships. It is also used in electrical distribution systems, and domestic products such as ironing boards.
Findings of the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad
Asbestos cement industry : There are 18 asbestos cement factories located in different parts of the country. The prevalence of asbestosis in these factories varied from 3% to 5%.
Asbestos textile industry : Making of asbestos yarn and ropes is done mostly in the unorganised sector. The average levels of air borne asbestos fibres varied from 216 to 418 fibres/ml. The permissible level is 2 fibres/ml. The prevalence of asbestosis was 9%. (The relatively low prevalence of asbestosis despite high environmental levels was attributed to high labour turn over.)
Asbestos mining and milling : In India, the mining and milling of asbestos is done in Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh) and Devgarh (Rajasthan). At both locations, the air borne fibre levels were within permissible limits. The average fibre levels in milling units varied from 45 fibres/ml to 244 fibres/ml of air. The overall prevalence of asbestosis in mining and milling units was 3% and 21% respectively.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, April 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=200904032009040303263865826891de)
Passengers can breathe easy. The Kalupur railway station is scrapping ‘cancer-causing’ asbestos sheets. Railway authorities are replacing them with steel sheets at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. While the railways should have done this about 25 years ago when the world recognised the hazard of asbestos, it is better late than never. The new sheets will be more aesthetic and stronger compared to conventional asbestos sheets
The railways stopped using asbestos sheets to provide shelter on platforms after knowing that the sheets might cause cancer to people. “The work will be over in a month,” said Uday Shankar Jha, senior DCM (Ahmedabad division). Listing other reasons for bringing in the change, Jha said, “Asbestos sheets needed a lot of maintenance. We had to replace them every year as it broke easily if an animal like a monkey jumped on it. Gusty winds and rain could also bring down an asbestos shelter. Steel sheets are a lot sturdier, providing better protection to passengers.”Countrywide project Kalupur is not the only station that will receive the ‘facelift’. “As we receive funds, we will replace asbestos sheets in railway stations at Gandhidham and other areas under our division. The change will be implemented in a few months,” said Jha.The decision to change the sheets was taken by the Railway Board and will be implemented throughout the country in phases. The Northern-Central Railway has begun the process by putting up steel sheets at the Allahabad railway station.
Irreversible damage
Asbestos is well recognised as a health hazard. Inhalation of the mineral can cause asbestosis, cancer of the lung and cancer of the thin membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal organs. There is no curative treatment.While white asbestos mining is currently banned in India, its import, export or use in manufacturing is permitted.In India, asbestos is used to make pipes for water supply, sewage and drainage, packing material, brake linings in automobiles, heavy equipment and thermal plants.Studies reveal that the demand for asbestos in India is around 100,000 tonnes, a fifth of which is mined domestically. In addition, raw asbestos worth Rs 100 million is imported every year mainly from Canada and Russia, the two major producers of the mineral.Thirty deaths are caused every day from asbestos-related diseases as per estimates based on US and European studies.
Asbestos regulation in india
» Environmental monitoring and health surveys have led to in-depth studies in asbestos based industries in India since 1984.
» Workers exposed to asbestos have a maximum impairment in their pulmonary function test. They and consumers also suffer from the exposure to asbestos. Its incubation period is long, it takes as long as 25 to 30 years for the fibres to make their presence felt in the human body but by then it is incurable.
» In the developed countries, insurance companies have stopped covering workers employed in asbestos factories and mines.
» The Central government ordered the state governments in 1986 not to grant any new mining lease for asbestos (including chrysotile variety). In June 1993, the central government stopped the renewal of existing mining leases of asbestos.
» The ban was imposed in phases but not on its use, manufacture, export and import. But despite the ban on mining, illegal mines are operating in the some states.
» In addition to cement, asbestos is also used in brakes, clutch linings, and gaskets in motor cars, as well as insulation and fireproofing in buildings and warships. It is also used in electrical distribution systems, and domestic products such as ironing boards.
Findings of the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad
Asbestos cement industry : There are 18 asbestos cement factories located in different parts of the country. The prevalence of asbestosis in these factories varied from 3% to 5%.
Asbestos textile industry : Making of asbestos yarn and ropes is done mostly in the unorganised sector. The average levels of air borne asbestos fibres varied from 216 to 418 fibres/ml. The permissible level is 2 fibres/ml. The prevalence of asbestosis was 9%. (The relatively low prevalence of asbestosis despite high environmental levels was attributed to high labour turn over.)
Asbestos mining and milling : In India, the mining and milling of asbestos is done in Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh) and Devgarh (Rajasthan). At both locations, the air borne fibre levels were within permissible limits. The average fibre levels in milling units varied from 45 fibres/ml to 244 fibres/ml of air. The overall prevalence of asbestosis in mining and milling units was 3% and 21% respectively.
