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Green Study Slams Coke's Kerala Plant
Rediff.com
July 21, 2006
Coca-Cola company's operations at its Plachimada plant at Palakkad
in Kerala seem to be headed for fresh trouble.
The Hazards Centre and the People's Science Institute have come out
with a report, based on the study of water samples, saying that Coca
Cola has caused groundwater pollution in the area.
According to a statement from the two environmental groups, the study
has tested nine water samples in a one kilometer radius of the Coca-Cola
bottling plant in Kerala, which has shown that the total natural water
resources surrounding the Coca-Cola plant in Plachimada are contaminated.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages on its part said that independent test
results carried out over the last four years on more than 20 wells
surrounding the plant by experts, government authorities and independent
accredited laboratories such as Kerala State Ground Water Board, Central
Ground Water Authority, Kerala State Pollution Control Board, have
all confirmed that there is no contamination caused by the plant operations.
"A study conducted by an independent laboratory in Bangalore over
the last one year on 92 samples of water collected from wells in the
area has not linked any contamination in the groundwater to the plant
operations," HCCBPL said in a statement.
However, The Hazards Centre and the People's Science Institute study
points out that all water samples, collected from open wells, hand
pumps and borewells in the area, failed to meet the safety standards
for drinking water prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards --
ensuring that the groundwater was no longer suitable for human consumption.
"All the samples showed excessive levels of chromium, eight samples
showed excessive levels of cadmium and six samples showed excessive
levels of lead. The water samples were collected in November 2005,"
The Hazards Centre and the People's Science Institute report said
adding, that agricultural production has been negatively affected
in the area.
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