Transcript Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI): The Issue of

Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI): The Issue of
Environmental Abuse in India - A Case Study of
Lote Parshuram MIDC, Chiplun, Maharashtra.
• Dr. Sirajuddin H. M. Chougle,
• Dr. Abdul Majid Ansari,
• Dr. Mohammed Moghees, HOD
Associate Professors,
Department of Commerce,
Maharashtra College of Arts, Science and Commerce,
Mumbai – 400 008
OBJECTIVES
Understand Corporate Social
Responsibility with reference to
environment.
Highlight corporate irresponsibility
towards environmental damages in
India.
Present the Case Study of Lote
Parshuram MIDC, Chiplun,
Maharashtra.
Present Suggestion to control
environmental damages.
Outline
Corporate
Social
Irresponsibility
is
rampant all over the world. Indian
government and the corporations are
equally or may be more culprits.
The biggest fallout of this, is the
environment
as a whole.
Whether it be
Bhopal Gas Tragedy,
disappearance of tigers from
Panna Tiger Reserve,
damaging entire sea coast from
Valsad to Daman with chemical,
breaking the resistance in the
village to sell land, if necessary
murder the leaders,
politicians causing damage to the
sensitive ecology for personnel
gain,
land acquisition for SEZ and so
on.
The reason,
anyone can get away either by greasing
palm of the official,
the police and
even the judiciary
or
if penalized pay the penalty, which is just
a fraction of what they must have gained.
Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI)
• It’s the practice of not being socially
responsible as a corporation.
• Whitewash in the name of CSR to show
how businesses are meeting their
obligations to society.
• Paid advertisement about responsibilities,
are often smoke screens to hide
environmental abuse.
Environmental Damage: A Case Study of Lote
Parshuram MIDC, Chiplun, Maharashtra
The Background
The setting up of an industrial zone in this
eco-sensitive area has resulted in about drastic
changes in the lives of the people.
The major rationale behind MIDC locating
here was the creek for letting out treated
effluent water.
The consequences are multidimensional.
Methodology
First hand Personnel Experience
Interviews with affected people (over the
years)
Secondary material sourced from journals
government reports and NGO’S.
NEWS
Highlights of findings…1
 Quarter of the farmers in Lote village became
landless.
 Out of 773 seeking employment only 92 people
(11.9%) got jobs. Only 25 among these were
permanent employees, the remaining 67
working as contract labourers.
 Around 200 chemical units began operations in
the 1980s. By the year 2002 there were only 70
units in business, the rest having closed down.
The land occupied by them now lies unused.
Highlights of findings…2
 Lote and other villages worst hit by industrial
pollution, the soil is no more fertile and it carries
chemicals.
 Solid toxic sludge from industries was mixed
with soil and dumped in the ghat area and toxic
waste is pumped into ground water through
bore wells.
 Cattle breeding considerably affected due to
polluted water.
 People suffering with skin diseases, respiratory
diseases and lung infections.
Highlights of findings…3
Fall in yield of paddy crops, alphonso
mangoes and other fruits
Contamination of river water
Death of fish and other marine life
Well and bore water affected
Disappearance of birds, otters, dolphins and
crocodiles
Destruction of reeds and mangroves
Peoples livelihood adversely hit
Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel
on Lote MIDC
The Ministry of Environment & Forests
Government of India has constituted a
Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel
(WGEEP) in 2010:
Chairman Prof. Madhav Gadgil; says, “Regarding chemical
industry MIDC at Lote near Chiplun,…It was revealed that the
CETP cannot handle the quantity of effluent it is receiving, and
its functioning is highly defective. We saw large overflows of
untreated effluent from the plant going into streams serving
Kotavale village.
With all these persistent and un-rectified problems, we were
informed by an MIDC officer that they are planning to setup
new Petro Chemical MIDC area nearby existing on 550Ha.”
Suggestions…1
A committee, including representatives of the
affected, to be formed and work together to
check pollution.
Communities need to develop their capacities
and work collectively and coherently to properly
document their problems and expectations.
Relinquishing lands for common use and those
unnecessarily acquired by the MIDC.
Suggestions…2
Compensation for the landless who lost their
livelihood due to industry – the fisher folk and
shepherds.
Strengthening the public health delivery
system by upgrading health centers,
developing a well-equipped hospital capable
of handling industrial emergencies;
Generation of employment in industry and in
activities supplying industrial needs;
Suggestions…3
A survey to be conducted by the government in
association with the gram sabhas to find
solutions to the problems of water for drinking
and other uses like agriculture; pollution of air
and water; and effects of pollution on livelihoods.
NGO’s such as Parivartan should play an
important role as un-elected representative of
people and speak on their behalf.
Both in the long and short term, it will be
beneficial if industry takes seriously its dual role
as private capital rooted to short term profits and
as social capital rooted in the long term interests
of capital.
Suggestions…4
the concept of industry citizenship becomes an
inherent part of governance within industry.
The government and its officials need to realize
their role and chart a course of coexistence,
beneficial both to the community and industry.
To counter regional imbalances in development it
is appropriate to focus development of any region
on its own inherent strengths and not sacrifice
these to meeting requirements of other regions.
Conclusion
According to Amartya Sen,
‘Development is not merely
growth in GDP or per
capita incomes, …it is
‘A process of expanding real
freedoms that people
enjoy’.
…Amartya Sen
He defines these freedoms as:
 Access to adequate food, clean water,
unpolluted air, shelter, education,
healthcare, and gainful employment.
And above all development should lead
to an enhanced capacity to engage in
social, political, and economic decision
making”.
…the fight must go on.
 Development should be decided upon by
experts, government officials and the people of
that region together.
 People will have to empower themselves to
bring about change.
 It is a struggle similar to the struggle of the gas
affected victims of Bhopal.
 At the end of the bargain they may just get
peanuts.
 But the struggle cannot be given up, for the sake
of the future generation the fight must go on.
People wish to see the natural heritage protected.
It is they who should be empowered to do so.