Gujarat tops India with 49 percent use in hazardous asbestos, causing occupational disease, cancer: Report

Asbestos textile cuttings in a Vadodara shop

Counterview Desk
A new report “National Asbestos Profile: India”, prepared by Vadodara-based civil rights organization, People’s Training and Research Centre (PTRC), has found that Gujarat accounts for 49% of all industries of India where asbestos, considered one of the most hazardous commodities, is used, followed by neighbouring Maharashtra (18%).
Prepared for the Occupational and Environmental Health Network India, the report quotes a study conducted in a cement factory in Gujarat to say that 6.5% of examined workers had asbestosis, the fatal occupational health disease caused by asbestos, while another 32% of workers were “suspected” to have asbestosis.
The report further quotes a study, “Asbestos-related Diseases in India”, carried out by Dr Sudhakar Kamat, to say that out of chest radiographs taken from workers of different asbestos-cement plants and asbestos mines, examined by Dr Sudhakar Kamat, 44% were found to have asbestosis in Gujarat.
An all-India study, it also found that 22% of the workers examined in Tamil Nadu, and 77% of those examined in Rajasthan had asbestosis, says the report.
The report quotes a right to information (RTI) plea filed by Raghunath Manwar, a worker who suffered from the disease, to say that “across three thermal power plant stations in Gujarat, 17 out of 19 workers diagnosed with asbestosis worked in the cleaning cell” of power plants, while “the remaining two worked in the coal plant and fly-ash sections.”
“On and average workers with asbestos suffered from 41% to 50% disability”, the report reveals, adding, “Out of the 19 asbestosis patients identified, seven were women, from the Gandhinagar Gujarat Electricity Board power station.”

Giving more details on Gujarat, the report states, “In the ship-breaking yards of Alang, a study by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) found, in a sample of 98 workers, 16% were diagnosed with asbestosis”, though regretting, “activists sought more details on the study but NIOH refused to reveal details.”
Pointing out that mesothelioma, a cancer of the protective tissue lining the lungs and abdominal cavity, is caused because of asbestos exposure, the report says, though the disease “is considered to be rare” and is in existence in 21 cases during 2009-2012 by the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, Ahmedabad, and in 23 cases in 2013.
The report says, a conference in the US was told that there was “30% prevalence rate of mesothelioma in northern Gujarat and 32.75% prevalence in southern Rajasthan” because of asbestos exposure, though in “other parts of Gujarat, the prevalence rate was much lower, at around 9%.”
“In March 2017”, the report says, “three mesothelioma victims were diagnosed by the state-run Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital in Ahmedabad.” While one of them had “secondary exposure” in cement factory, the second one was employed by a foundry in the same factory, and the third one “suffer from tongue and larynx cancer.”
Pointing towards how commonly asbestos is used in Gujarat, the report provides the photograph of asbestos textile cuttings in a mezzanine floor constructed in a shop, which "manufactures and sells" asbestos gloves and other safety equipment, right in the heart of the Gujarati city of Vadodara.

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor* Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram* April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

The high price of unemployment: The human cost of the drug crisis in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi* Jammu and Kashmir is no longer merely at risk of a drug epidemic ; it is losing the fight. The statistics are staggering, with approximately 13.5 lakh people—nearly 8% of the total population—caught in the grip of substance abuse . In the ranking of Indian Union Territories , Jammu and Kashmir now sits at a grim top. We have officially reached a point where we can no longer speak in hypotheticals about a future crisis. The vocabulary has shifted from "if" to "if not addressed immediately."

Search This Blog