COASTAL COAL CAPITAL STORIES FROM TAMILNADU, INDIA 2019 THE COASTAL RESOURCE CENTRE, CHENNAI, INDIA | HEALTHY ENERGY INITIATIVE, INDIA
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