Conference Call with Nandlal
03/15/06 – 9 pm to 10:15 pm
Attendees: Nandlal, Anitha, Sandhya, Kavita, Freaky, Anita, Sanjeev, Gaurav
Main points:
1. UP govt has decided to close down the pumps. It's not a law. For 3 yrs rain fall hasn't been good so that have been talking about it in meetings. They are also talking about water harvesting and closing down the big bore wells. They haven't told anything to coke.
No law has been passed by the government about ground water consumption but the idea is that ground water should just be used for drinking purposes and for all other uses the ponds, well will be replenished with RWH. The government is also working on a law regarding water consumption.
2. Approximate Water usage -
Domestic
1 house around 5 ppl
1 person: 3 lit to drink + 25 lit cooking + 20 lit washing etc è around 50 lit/person à 250 lit/ family
2/3 animals per household – around the same à 150 lit for animals
around 400 lit water/day/household
Irrigation
2 crops – rice in monsoon and wheat
rice takes more water but its monsoon crop – so less water from the bore well
wheat needs water thrice in a season.
To irrigate 1 acre the pump needs to run for 5 hrs. à in a season for 1 acre pump needs to run for 15 hrs.
Sugarcane and Vegetables take more water.
There are not many big farmers. Main occupation is Banarasi sari weaving.
Most farmers use borewell only when the rainfall fails. Otherwise rice and wheat are grown using rainwater
3. Sludge case:
Talked to the Uttar Pradesh and regional pollution board. They said that there is no sludge. Ppl took two tractor full of sludge to the office and showed it to them. They did the inquiry after that but didn't give the report. District administration took action right away. Coke stopped dumping the sludge in Mehendiganj and started dumping it in another village (after talking! to the village pradhan). Lok Samiti told the farmers in that village as well about the sludge. Finally now coke is dumping the sludge in some wells in its own compound which is also dangerous because this polluted water will then seep in groundwater. District Magistrate asked to inquire about this. The Asst DM gave the report in writing but no action was taken.
They also spoke to a minister who is the son of Mulayam Singh. He was a part of the Joint Parliamentary Commision that did the study on coke after the CSE claims of pesticides. He accepted the presence of pollution, water and health issues due to the plant in Mehdiganj but said that nothing can be done coz coke sponsors their election campaign. 4. Land Encroachment case:
Coke has owns around 6 acres of land. It wanted to take over 15000 sq ft of land surrounding it. Panchayat ordered stay on this. Coke talked to the panchayat officials and got the permission to build on this land. Inquiry committee afterwards gave a report of encroachment. Coke said that it'd give 15000 sq ft of land to the village in return to this land. Village pradhan was even suspended for this issue. Coke never returned 15k sq ft land to the village.
5. Now that we have such a large scale protest the general manager wants to talk to us about these issues. But they don't want to talk about the bigger water issue. They have two conditions
a) we wont come for public hearing. You can come to our office or we will come to your office but no public hearing
b) we will talk about other issues but not about closing down the factory.
Now they want to recognize the smaller issues because we have started talking abt the bigger water issue.
6. Water agreement in coke's license:
They do not have access to license issued to the company. But there is no limit on the ground water that can be used.
Unlimited water usage. They pay tax according to production (not according to usage)
How did you estimate water usage to be 25 lac lit?
Coke trucks in a day = 48-60
Trays in each truck = 550
Bottles in each tray = 24
Each bottle = 300 ml of coke
This is 2 – 2.5 lac lit. of coke
For 1 bottle of coke approx 10 lit of water is needed.
Hence, we estimated that coke plant uses 20-25 lac lits of water daily
7. Mehendiganj Panchayat's stand on coke issue:
On May 1st, 2005 the panchayat signed a resolution to cancel coke's license. UP state govt said that Kerala and UP panchayats were different. In UP the panchayats don't have right to issue a license to any company neither can it cancel the license. So the panchyat's resolution does not mean anything. The panchayat can demand but it does not have right to cancel the license. Now the panchayat is planning to file PIL under the fact that the panchayat has right to save its water.
8. Where does coke use most of the water it consumes?
Mostly cleaning of the bottles. Sugar juice (melting??) and making coca cola
9. Rain water harvesting structures implemented by coke
They have a structure in a college compound 10 km away from the plant. They have a small bore well and they are using water in 5 acres of land. They say that we replenish more water than we use. We tell them.. we don't need this favor. Why don't you use this water to make coke and stop using our water?
10. If the rainfall had been good, water level hadn't gone down, would you protest against coke?
It's not only about coke or about water level. We don't want our water to be sold. Free and safe water must be available to all. Even if the water level didn't go down we will ask the factory to close down. Shall we increase the cost of food manifolds like coke increase the cost of water?
11. If the govt agrees and cancels Coke's license, what after that?
It's not enough. Everybody is responsible for water. Fight for water will go on. We will revitalize the ponds, make sure nobody is using excessive water, implement rain harvesting structures etc.
12. Any other industries apart from coke?
A tire industry and biscuit factory. No other water intensive industry other than coke.
13. Nandlal asked how we could help
- Any programs after 23rd? (when the protest starts)
- Financially - water stops
- Nandlal's saathiship
- Stay / Food for people who come for the protest rally