Buying Asbestos is buying Cancer: Chairman, Bihar Legislative Council

Patna/ December 24, 2012: Inaugurating the Conference on Environmental and Occupational Health, Shri Awadesh Narain Singh, Chairman, Bihar Legislative Council expressed grave concern about the lack of environmental and occupational infrastructure in the face of environmental exposures that present and future generations face. He favoured phasing of hazardous factories in public interest if they cause incurable but preventable diseases. He admitted the dangers of asbestos exposures. He said, "buying asbestos is buying akin to buying cancer. I will get asbestos removed from my residence." He said that struggle against asbestos factories in Vaishali and Bhojpur. He announced that he would convene an environmental conference in the auditorium of the Bihar Legislative Council after January 25, 2012. He added, "the ache of asbestos hazards is worse than the ache of unemployment." Former consultant of World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank, Dr Barry Castleman disclosed why asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposures "can only be prevented by adopting alternatives of asbestos. It is estimated that several thousands of deaths can be attributed annually to exposure to asbestos in the living environment." Dr Castleman is a fellow Collegium Ramazzini, USA and author, Medical & Legal Aspects of Asbestos. He said, "Asbestos companies indulging in corporate crimes". The Conference on Environmental and Occupational Health was co-organized by Toxics Watch Alliance (TWA), A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, and PEACE, New Delhi.