NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 16, 2002: A group of medical professionals have urged the government to immediately stop mining and milling of asbestos in India, as it can cause lung cancer in those exposed to it. At an international symposium on health effects of hazardous material in New Delhi, participants urged the government to provide medical follow-up as well as compensation to affected workers. Asbestos tends to break into very fine fibers — some of these pieces may be 700 times smaller than human hair. Once released into the air, they may remain suspended for hours and even days. Asbestos is already banned in most developed countries, including the US. The European Union has decided to phase out asbestos by 2005. In India, however, the bulk of asbestos continues to be imported from Canada (which exports 99% of the asbestos it produces) and used for making pipes, laminated products, asbestos textiles, brake lining among others. The National Institute of Occupational Health at Ahmedabad has shown the prevalence of asbestosis, an irreversible and progressive lung condition which results from the inhalation of asbestos fibers amongst workers.
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