The Hindu Business Line : Drive to dispel fears on asbestos

THE Chrysotile Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers' Association (CACPMA) will soon launch a nationwide "education and awareness" campaign to combat "ignorance, myths and propaganda" being spread by "vested interests and competing industries" and for providing a fillip to sales of asbestos cement products such as roofing sheets and pipes.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Arun Saraf, Chairman of CACPMA, said the chrysotile asbestos cement products industry has been under threat and negative propaganda was being spread by the anti-asbestos lobby, which was bent upon creating apprehension in the minds of people by saying that all varieties of asbestos are carcinogenic and, therefore, should be banned.

Mr Saraf said asbestos cement products manufactured in India contain only eight per cent of white asbestos called chrysotile. The rest of the ingredients arefly ash (30 per cent), cement (40 per cent), water (20 per cent) and pulp (two per cent). "White asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral with no harmful effect when used in a controlled manner. Asbestos-related diseases are associated with crocidolite or blue asbestos and other amphiboles. It is not used in India, since its import was banned in 1994," he said.

According to him, studies conducted in the US, South Africa and Canada have concluded that asbestos-related diseases occur with prolonged exposure to 5-20 fibres per cubic centimetre (cc). The current exposure in India was less than one fibre per cc.

"At such levels, there is no danger of asbestos-related diseases among manufacturers and users of asbestos in India," Mr Saraf said, and quoted a report published by the World Health Organisation, which stated that "exclusive use of chrysotile (white) fibre in the manufacture of asbestos cement products is not associated with any excess of lung cancer."

The previous Union Ministry of Environment & Forests had conducted a study in 2002-03 and had recommended the continued use of asbestos fibre "under controlled conditions."

Restraining himself from directly naming the "vested interests" that are against the asbestos industry, Mr Saraf said that, if a ban on asbestos was imposed, the domestic demand for steel would go up by 2.5 million tonnes (mt) a year .

Mr Saraf said there are 45 asbestos products manufacturing units in India and their combined annual turnover has been pegged at Rs 1,200-Rs 1,400 crore. The industry has been clocking a compounded average growth rate of around 10 per cent over the last five years. However, the scope for growth is huge, given that several dwelling units in the rural areas are replacing their thatched roofs with asbestos sheets.

"China consumes 7.5 mt of asbestos per annum. Thailand consumes 5 mt per annum, while India consumes a mere 2 mt of asbestos per annum. So the scope for growth here is huge," Mr Saraf said.