coastal coal capital stories from tamilnadu, india · 2019-09-05 · coastal coal capital stories...

C O A S TA L C O A L C A P I TA L S T O R I E S F R O M TA M I L N A D U , I N D I A

2 0 1 9 T H E C O A S TA L R E S O U R C E C E N T R E , C H E N N A I , I N D I A | H E A LT H Y E N E R G Y I N I T I AT I V E , I N D I A

S A G A R M A L A - C H A I N O F P O R T S P O R T S A S A D R I V I N G F O R C E F O R C O A S TA L D E V E L O P M E N T

C O A S TA L M A R I N E F I S H E R I E S S U P P O R T M O R E T H A N 1 0 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 F I S H E R S F R O M O V E R 6 0 0 F I S H I N G V I L L A G E S I N TA M I L N A D U

A I R P O L L U T I O NL A N D U S E C H A N G E A N D C O N TA M I N AT I O N

WAT E R P O L L U T I O N

Photo: Amirtharaj StephenPhoto: CRC

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

• Ecological Health

• Land Use Changes

• Polluted Landscapes

• Low Ecological Productivity

• Human Health

• Mental Health - Stress, Anxiety, Depression

• Physical Health - Respiratory, Cardio-Vascular, Neurological, Cancer

H E A LT H I M PA C T S O F O U R C O A L B A S E D E N E R G Y C H O I C E S

E N N O R E C H E N N A I ’ S S A C R I F I C E

Z O N E

Ennore Creek in 1965

Map: CRC

TA M I L N A D U ’ S C O A L H U B

E C O L O G I C A L H E A LT H C R I S I SPhoto:CRC

Photo:CRC

Photo:CRC

Lead (0.30

Mg/Kg)

Cadmium (0.05

Mg/Kg)

Shellfish 50X 2X

Prawn 44X 24X

Fish 22X 18X

Livelihoods Destroyed Due To High Levels of Pollution

In Fish

Photo:CRC

Photo:CRC

SEPPAKKAM - A Village In Ash

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

K E Y F I N D I N G S

• Residents face severe illnesses - respiratory, skin

• No basic facilities - Drinking water, health care facilities or public transportation

“If we dry anything outside it will get covered with ash and dust in no time. If we go and stand on the road for even a short while, we will get covered with ash and dust”

- Resident of Sepakkam

NTPC

KURUVIMEDU- The Sparrow Hill

Photo: Greg McNevin

Photo: Sajan Ponappa

K E Y F I N D I N G S

• Dry cough

• body pain,

• loss of appetite

• breathlessness

• skin allergies

• A SITE OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

MINJUR - Collateral Damage

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

P R E L I M I N A R Y H E A LT H A S S E S S M E N T I N M I N J U R

• Residents, especially street vendors faced pollution load from trucks carrying coal and coal ash

• Respiratory illness and skin allergy was reported.

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

Photo: Vishvaja Sambath

B U T A R E F O S S I L F U E L T H E C A U S E O F H E A LT H D E C L I N E I N E N N O R E ?

• PROPOSED SITE OF 4000 MW UMPP

• BASELINE HEALTH STUDY IN 13 VILLAGES - 266 PEOPLE SURVEYED

• ONLY 1% REPORTED CHRONIC ILLNESSES COMPARED TO MORE THAN 15% IN ENNORE

ONLY DIFFERENCE - NO POLLUTING INDUSTRIES IN CHEYYUR

Photo: Shweta Narayan CASE OF CHEYYUR

C O A L = C L I M AT E E F F E C T S C O A L = L O C A L E F F E C T S

• Local Landscapes Transformed - Undoing Natural Climate Resilience

• Erasure of Local Economies - Livelihood Costs Externalised

• Human Costs made invisible - Health Costs Externalised

• Coal industries have only impoverished local communities instead of improving quality of life