Asbestos: white death
Regardless of the amount of hazardous asbestos contained in Le Clemenceau, India imports thousands of tonnes of asbestos and asbestos products every year. Asbestos is imported to India in three categories:
• Articles of asbestos cement;
• Fabricated asbestos fibres; and
• Friction material and articles thereof with a basis of asbestos.
The occupational health impact of fabricated asbestos fibres and asbestos friction materials is worrying. Asbestos fibres are likely to become airborne quickly during manufacturing and use. In fact, their occupational health impacts are very similar to those likely to happen during the shipbreaking operations.
Take the case of the import of asbestos brake linings and pads used in automobiles. Use of asbestos brake linings and pads is banned in almost all industrialised countries. But this doesn't stop industrialised countries from sending these hazardous materials to India.
India imported 54.35 tonnes of asbestos brake linings and pads in 2003-04. This increased to 216.6 tonnes in 2004-05. France sent 108.7 tonnes of asbestos brake lining and pads to India in the same year, though their use is banned in France.
The total imports of asbestos friction materials in last two years in India stands at about 520 tonnes. France and Germany have sent more than 100 tonnes of this to India.