Bauxite mining threat to health'

'Bauxite mining threat to health'

Deccan Chronical Daily – http://www.deccan. com/Region/ RegionNews. asp#%E2%80% 98Bauxite% 20mining% 20threat% 20to%20health% E2%80%99

28th June 2007

Visakhapatnam, June 28: The Anti-bauxite and Save River Waters committee formed to fight against the mining held a workshop here on Thursday depicting the ill effects of mining. "Health of the hills is wealth of the plains," was the slogan of the power point presentation at the all-party and intellectuals workshop.

Repercussions of mining on Eastern Ghats that resulted in spread of various diseases like psoriasis, inflammation of skin in Kalinganagar of Orissa was shown in the power point presentation. Speaking on the occasion, Chodavaram TD MLA and all-party committee convenor Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that the mining will have drastic impact not only upon the tribals living in the Agency areas but also people living in plain areas.

He called upon scientists, experts, and intellectuals to take up the cause and join them in fighting the State government against it. The speakers at the workshop said that natural water and springs in the Eastern Ghats would get contaminated and it would cause various health hazards.

He also asked all the political parties to join them to oppose bauxite mining. TD leaders B Satyanarayana Murthy, Dr C.M.A. Zaheer Ahmed, Sobha Hymavathi, J. Prithviraj of BJP, J.V. Satynarayana Murthy of CPI, and S. Raju of CPM took part. Environmental scientists from Berhampur Dr Sridhar and Dr Raghava Rao also spoke.