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February 27, 2008
Dow Chemical takes police help to end 40-day blockade
Express news service, February 27, 2008
Pune, February 26 After facing road blockade for 40 days, the Dow Chemical Research and Development (R&D) centre took the help of State Reserve Police (SRP) to ferry three trucks to the construction site at Shinde village in Chakan on Tuesday. The villagers of Shinde and Vasuli had dug up the road to protest the setting up of the R& D centre and were preventing vehicles from plying to the construction site.
The trucks and a special SRP force van crossed the dug up road at around 4 pm, said Sunil Deukar, one of the villagers. “With only a few villagers at the entry point today, we were outnumbered. Besides with their use of the SRP force we could do little to stop them. But we will not allow the trucks to leave the village,” he said.
The members of Lokshashan Andolan, B G Kolse Patil and Vilas Sonawane, who are backing the villagers, said this was the first time that the company had used police support. “Our agitation began with the support of villagers on January 17 and since then construction work has been stalled with no vehicle allowed to pass through the village,’’ said Kolse Patil.
A State-level committee was appointed to look into the Dow imbroglio under the chairmanship of the environment secretary S K Goel. It met for the second time on Monday and is expected to release its report soon. Meanwhile, agitators from Lokayat submitted a memorandum to the committee expressing their firm protest against the company. Dow Chemical officers were unavailable for comment when contacted.
Posted by tim at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2008
Dow India's R&D facility embroiled in controversy
PUNE: A proposed Research and Development facility of Dow India at a village near Pune has raised environmental concerns among social groups who have launched an agitation to press scrapping of the project.
Notwithstanding persistent claims by the multinational chemical company that it has no plans to convert the R&D center into a manufacturing unit across the 100 acres of land it has acquired through Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) at village Shinde, the protest by locals and activists continues.
The Lokshasan Andolan, an umbrella organisation for other social groups opposed to the Dow project, said the agitation will be further intensified with staging of street plays and a Lok Adalat (mock trial) will be held to expose the company's plans on March 14 to be attended by its national convener P B Sawant, a former Supreme court judge.
A skeptical Justice (Retd) B G Kolse Patil, a former High Court judge, who heads the state unit of Lokshasan Andolan and is coordinating the agitation, that Dow India had clandestine plans to use the Shinde project for manufacturing processes which has found a mention in the MOU the company had signed with Maharashtra government.
"If they wanted an R&D unit, why did they not choose a location in the West?" he asked, claiming that the company had a dubious track record with many of its products facing a ban in Europe and America.
In an official statement, the company has refuted the allegations.
Posted by tim at 07:30 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2008
Dow Chemical issue: Activists demand Lok Adalat
Express news service, February 24, 2008
Pune, February 23 Activists protesting against the Dow Research and Development (R&D) centre in Shinde village in Pune district have proposed a Lok Adalat for a face-to-face hearing with company officials. Around 200 activists from “Remove Dow, Save Pune” movement, which many local organisations have also joined, on Saturday, gathered at Alka chowk with banners and shouted slogans against the company for five hours. With the company having issued huge advertisements in local newspapers, the activists have proposed a Lok Adalat on March 14. According to Neeraj Jain from Lokayat, retired High Court judges Suresh Hospet and and Justice GG Lone have given their consent to hear the case at Shramik Bhavan.
Jain said a summons will be issued to company officials for the same. Though the government-appointed committee report to redress the issue will soon be out, the activists want a public hearing and “do not want the company in the district.’’
A Dow holi has been planned at Pandavnagar at Wadarwadi on March 21 and a Tukaram beej programme on March 23 will see a Warkari morcha from Dehuroad to Dow in Shinde village, said Jain. Meanwhile, Hamal Panchayat’s Baba Adhav said that in the wake of skirmishes caused by political parties, a simple appeal against the company’s presence is falling on deaf ears.
Posted by tim at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2008
Villagers voice resolve to keep out Dow Chemical
Press Trust of India, Express news service, February 21, 2008
Pune, February 20: Denouncing the state-level committee formed by the government to hear all issues against the setting up of the R&D centre by Dow Chemical near Chakan, residents of Shinde and Vasuli villlages reiterated their resolve to continue the agitation against the company. In a media interaction here on Wednesday, some 20 villagers pledged their resolve to keep the company out of their villages.
Backed by Lokayat, Lokshashan Andolan and several other organisations from Pune, a mass agitation against the Dow Chemical unit has been planned in the city -at Alka chowk - on February 23.
With the villagers not allowing any vehicle to ply to the construction site for the last 35 days, former sarpanch Shantaram Panman said they would keep the agitation on and pledged to fight the company “until death or till the company leaves the villages.’’ At a press meet, Panman and other villagers said they were firm in their resolve and were happy that they were getting support from many organisations to fight against the company that took over Union Carbide, responsible for the Bhopal gas disaster.
Some of the organisations lending support to the villagers of Shinde and Vasuli are Lokshashan Andolan, Lokayat, Pune Municipal Employees Union, Hamal Panchayat, Shramik Mahila Morcha, Sarva Shramik Sanghtana, Maharashtra State Government Employees Association, Insurance Employees Union, Insurance Pensioners Association, Rashtra Seval Dal, Maharashtra Nurses Federation and Shramik Ekta Mahasangh.
Former justice of the Bombay High Court BG Kolse Patil said that they would keep the agitation on and were not interested in any further discussions with anyone as they had already submitted a memorandum in the last meeting with the state government apponted committee headed by Principal Secretary, Environment.
Former justice of Supreme Court PB Sawant said the company coming to Shinde would affect the entire Pune city and each and everyone should take up the initiative to protest against the company.
Hamal Panchayat’s Baba Adhav and Subhas Ware from Rashtra Seva Dal expressed their solidarity on this issue and rendered their support. Neeraj Jain of Lokayat pointed out that the necessary environmental permissions too have not been cleared.
Posted by tim at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2008
Dow imbroglio: Activists stage walk-out at committee meeting
Express news service, February 15, 2008
Pune, February 14 Addressing the first meeting of the committee set up by the state government to look into the Dow Chemical imbroglio, environment secretary S K Goel on Thursday has asked the company officers to put an advertisement in all newspapers explaining their stand on what exactly will come up at the 100 acre land in Shinde village and clearly mention the possibility of any kind of health hazard that might affect the villagers.
Amidst protests by villagers and activists under the banner ‘Remove Dow, Save Pune’ movement, the meeting took off at the National Chemical Laboratory, which saw the participation of Shinde villagers and the company officers. The eight-member committee headed by Goel will meet again on February 25 for the second meeting. Today’s meeting saw many villagers staging walk-out.
After listening to the clarification given by company officials on the production of chemicals in India banned elsewhere in the world, Goel said that Dow should put up an advertisement in all newspapers taking ownership of what they exactly planned to do at the Research and Development Centre.
District Collector Prabhakar Deshmukh, one of the committee members, said that in the second meeting the company will be asked to put forth all the technical details. “We have asked them to be specific and give us all the details,’’ said Deshmukh after the meeting.
However, the protesting activists are not in a mood to listen to any of it. “We do not trust the committee and the company. We have enough reasons to protest. There were reports about the company having admitted to making payments to the Centre and State officials to “expedite” registration. This also includes an influential member of the registration committee of the Central Insecticide Board,’’said Neeraj Jain one of the members.
The activists were also peeved with the NCL authorities for granting permission to start the R&D unit without going through the project report. “How do we trust them,’’ asked Jain. The members were also of the opinion that the committee only had government officers and not one member from the protesting party was involved. However the Collector was of the opinion that the second meeting would be open to more discussions and people’s participation. “We want all the doubts to be cleared and everything will be put down on paper,’’ he said.
Posted by tim at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2008
Dow plans blocked by Indian villagers
Plans by US trananational coreporation Dow Chemical to restructure its research and development (R&D) activities globally have run into trouble with residents of the Indian village of Shinde, some 40km from Pune in Maharashtra. Dow, one of the world's largest chemical companies with a market value of $54bn, is proposing to set up three new R&D centres, one in Europe, one in Shanghai and one in India. The Indian centre is intended to draw on India's large and relatively cheap supply of scientific labour, as well as on non-resident Indians who wish to return to India. Dow is planning to invest $100m in the centre which will employ around 500 researchers.
On January 16 Dow's plans ran into difficulties when local villagers blocked the only access to Dow's construction site, a road which passes through the village of Shinde, and some 500 women assocaited with the local organisation Bhamchandragarth Bachao Warkari Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (BBWKSS) protested at the site. As well as being concerned at possible pollution from the proposed centre, villagers want Dow to accept responsibility for the chemical disaster at Bhopal in 1984, when toxic gas escaping from a Union carbide Corporation (UCC) factory killed thousands: the disaster's health effects continues to blight the lives of those affected. Dow took over UCC in 2001 but refuses to accept any responsibility for UCC's misdeeds. Ramesh Ramachandran, CEO of Dow's Indian subsidiary, said 'Dow did have a connection with Union Carbide...but the company now had nothing to do with Union Carbide, whose assets and business have been sold to three separate entities a long time ago.' (www.rediff.com/money/2008/feb/02dow.htm) UCC's own webiste notes on its homepage 'Union Carbide Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company.' (www.unioncarbide.com)
Dow has wisely decided not to call in the authorities to break the blocade, as such interventions in recent siting disputes in India have led to deaths of protesters and increased opposition. The protest has received support from local worthies such as retired Inspector General of Police SM Mushrif and retired High Court Judge BG Kolse-Patil, as well as from Indian NGOs and Bhopal survivor organisations, which have been fighting for redress for the past 23 years. At a meeting held half a kilometre from the proposed site on February 2, Rasheeda Bi from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action offered solidarity to the BBWKSS, saying 'We are still suffering from Bhopal as Union Carbide has not yet cleared the toxic waste [from the factory site]. It is the right of the villagers to know what kind of unit is coming up in their village. We never knew what was coming and we suffered a lot.' On February 8, the Maharashtra State Government announced formation of a committee which is to report in two weeks after holding hearings with the villagers, who have prevented vehicles reaching the Dow site by digging up the road.
Dow says the centre will work on energy conservation, water, low-cost housing, discovery of new molecular entities and development of new uses for existing ones, as well as process engineering and optimisation projects. While Dow says there are no plans to manufacture chemicals at the site, critics note process ebgineering and optimisation work is likely to include the construction of reactors to undertake experimental chemical work.
Sources and further information
www.bhopal.net
'Dow Chem's unit to be global R&D hub' www.rediff.com/money/2008/feb/02dow.htm
'Villagers hold protest rally, say Dow go back www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Villagers-hold-protest-rally-say-Dow-go-back/268374/
'Committee to look into Dow imbroglio www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/270792.html
Posted by tim at 11:48 PM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2008
Committee to look into Dow imbroglio
Express news service, February 09, 2008
Pune, February 8 Taking cognisance of the protest by villagers from Shinde against the Dow Chemical Research and Development Centre in their village, the State Government has appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Environment Secretary S K Goel to look into the issue.
A government resolution (GR) appointing the eight-member committe was issued on February 6. While the committee is headed by the Secretary/Principal Secretary (Environment), the other members include district collector, police commissioner, members from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), director, National Chemical Laboratory, director, University Department of Chemical Technology, Matunga and Regional officer of MPCB.
They have been asked to present a report in two weeks after holding hearings with the villagers.
The GR also mentioned that they could consult scientists for preparing the report.
The Lokshashan Andolan and Lokayat who are supporting the villagers have decided to appointing their own committee to present their case before the appointed committee.
Former High Court judge B G Kolse-Patil from Lokshashan Andolan said that they were not happy with the committee appointed and wanted their own scientific experts in it to present the case of the villagers.
Meanwhile, the villagers who have blocked the road leading to the site by digging up the road continue their agitation and have not allowed any vehicle to ply to the construction site since last 22 days.
Posted by tim at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2008
Villagers hold protest rally, say Dow go back
Express news service, February 03, 2008
Villagers involved in stoppng Dow's R&D construction meet in Shinde
Pune, February 2 Around 200 villagers from Shinde and Vasuli villages who are protesting against the Dow Chemical Research and Development Centre gathered for a public rally on Saturday, half a km from the site and voiced their discontent against the proposed centre in their village.
“Dow go back” was the clarion call of the villagers who have been protesting against the company. They were joined in the agitation by Rasheeda Bi and Satinath Sarangi, members from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action. They congratulated the villagers for putting up a strong resistance. “We are still suffering in Bhopal as Union Carbide has not yet cleared the toxic waste. It is the right of the villagers to know what kind of unit is coming up in their village. We never knew what was coming and we suffered a lot,’’ said Rasheeda, recounting 1984 tragedy.
Entrance to Dow's blockaded R&D site near Pune
Sarangi said the company should make things clear about what is going to come up on 100 acres of land. “Environmental hazards and individual safety should be the key in setting up any such units,’’ he said, extending support to the villagers.
When contacted, N Y Sanglikar, director (public affairs) Dow Chemical International Private Ltd , said they had strong support from villagers who want the project to come up. “We want to work with the community. It’s been 17 days since the construction work has been stopped by the villagers with a road blockade. We will slowly be trying to establish our rapport with our villagers and I believe that they would be convinced, as they were seven months back,’’he said.
Dow 'establishes its rapport' with villagers via a menacing police presence
He said he would like to stress that though the company now owns the Union Carbide Corporation, the parent company of Union Carbide India Ltd, it had nothing to do with the 1984 tragedy. “So I see no point in the villagers linking the company with the disaster.”
However, the villagers — who have formed the Bhamchandragarh Bachao Warkari Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and drawing support from Lokayat and Lokshashan Andolan — are strongly opposing the chemical unit. Sarpanch Gorakh Temghire said they don’t want the company in the village even if they give them the best of amenities. “We don’t want them to give us a school or anything,’’ he said. While former sarpanch Shivaji Matale, Bapu Temghire and Shantaram Temghire said that any kind of chemical unit in their village would pose an environmental hazard. “Our water would get contaminated with chemical effluents,’’ pointed out Bapu Temghire.
While Alka Joshi from Lokayat who is supporting the villagers said that the company has a history of refusing to accept the liabilities of the tragedy, despite the fact that it has taken over the liabilities of the Union Carbide company. Now it is also refusing to clean up the over 5000 tonnes of toxic waste left behind at the plant site in Bhopal by Union Carbide, which has now seeped into the soil and contaminated the groundwater and soil around the plant. Vilas Sonawane of Lokshashan Andolan, retired Inspector General of Police SM Mushrif and retired justice BG Kolsepatil who is supporting the movement said that they want the villagers to fight for their right to life and safe future.
Posted by tim at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2008
Dow Chemical’s R&D project plan hits another roadblock
A Rs400 crore research and development centre planned by Dow Chemical Co. seems to be headed for fresh trouble with a number of NGOs now joining the villagers in their protests against the centre
Sudha Menon, livemint.com, February 2, 2008
Pune: A Rs400 crore research and development (R&D) centre planned by the largest US chemical maker by sales, Dow Chemical Co., at Chakan (near Pune in Maharashtra) seems to be headed for fresh trouble with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) now joining the villagers in their protests against the centre.
The villagers have been blocking access to the land allotted to the company, stopping construction of the R&D centre since 16 January. They are seeking a written assurance that the operations at the centre will not, in any way, harm them, their cattle or their land.
NGOs such as Lokayat and Lokshashan Andolan have now joined the protests and so have a former judge of the Mumbai high court, B.G. Kolse Patil, and a retired inspector general of police. Interestingly, a public rally planned in the village on Saturday is due to be addressed by two members of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims Struggle Committee.
Activists involved in relief and rehabilitation work for the 3 December 1984 Bhopal gas leak victims have been demanding the company, which took over the liabilities of Union Carbide in the US, should also take over the liabilities of Union Carbide India Ltd in Bhopal. Dow Chemical bought Union Carbide in 2001.
“We have nothing to do with Union Carbide India Ltd. That company was sold off by the government. It is unfortunate that a project that could put India and Chakan on the chemical technologies map of India should run into this kind of problem,” said Ramesh Ramachandran, president and CEO of Dow India. “We are in dialogue with the government and the villagers on this issue and are hopeful that they understand that we are not manufacturing chemicals here and that this is a research and development centre.”
Posted by tim at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)
Dow Chem to turn Pune unit into R&D hub
Look out, from over that hill marked 'swag' comes the public relations cavalry... ed.
Business Standard, February 2, 2008
Chemicals and polymers manufacturer Dow Chemicals plans to develop its Pune unit into a global research and development centre that will focus on a wide spectrum of products which give it an edge in the Indian and international market.
THINKING BIG
The unit would be a global research and development centre that will focus on a wide spectrum of products which give it an edge in the Indian and international market (so good they had to say it twice - ed.)
Ramesh Ramachandran, president and chief executive officer, Dow Chemicals International, said that the centre will be the first of its kind outside the US
The $54 billion giant believes that the wide talent base available in India and the network of Indian research institutions in the field of chemistry will help make the Centre of Excellence for chemistry research in Pune on par with its centres in the Unites States and a couple more proposed to be set up in Shanghai and Europe.
Ramesh Ramachandran, president and chief executive officer, Dow Chemicals International, said today that the centre, the first of its kind outside the US, will focus on discovering new molecules and develop novel applications for existing ones.
Dow Chemicals International is the Indian subsidiary of the Dow Chemicals which is based in Midland, Michigan in the US.
“The focus of the centre will be on energy conservation and water, as well as low-cost housing,” Ramachandran said. Efforts will be made to use agri-based feedstock to convert it into materials that can replace metals or other substances.
Ramachandran said the Pune centre will work on globally significant projects in process engineering and optimisation, numerical analysis and modelling, as well as applications development.
He underlined that the centre will be confined to research and development activity and there is no plan to manufacture chemicals here.
The company is looking at using simulation to cut short the time involved in the molecule discovery process.
The set up in Pune will be comparable with the best research institutions globally and it will be projected as the epicentre of future breakthroughs in the world of chemistry.
Ramachandran said it is intended to have about 500 scientists and researchers at the centre, and Dow will ensure facilities and an environment that will attract the best talent from across the world, especially Indians who wish to return to India.
The company has planned an outlay of Rs 400 crore ($100 million) to build the centre at Shinde village, near Chakan, 40 km from Pune, which will be operational by the middle of next year, Ramachandran said.
About the recent protests by local residents that had disrupted construction work at the site for the centre, he said company executives were talking to community representatives to explain the plans and allay fears of any risk to the environment and livestock.
“Dow did have a connection with Union Carbide, which was in the eye of the storm following the Bhopal gas tragedy, but the company now had nothing to do with Union Carbide whose assets and business had been sold to three separate entities a long time ago,” he explained.
Ramachandran said that the company was also got in touch with the state government and was hopeful of an amicable settlement soon. He said the stoppage of work would not disturb the company’s implementation schedule significantly.
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