[Assam] Refinery pollution

[Roy, Santanu]

I am sure the damage is far more then extinction of local species. 
One has to seriously look at the nature of effluents, the stock emitted over the last few decades and their long term impact. 
The state ought to institute an official scientific study immediately, calculate damages, impose a heavy pollution tax with retrospective effect on these refineries and use this for abatement of the stock of pulltants to the extent feasible (I am not sure how much can be done). 
Also, individual citizen groups could file public interest law suits seeking compensation from these public sector giants. 
If the federal government is unwilling to pay up with retrospective effect,  the state could use this to cancel out outstanding dues to central government owned PSUs such as the electricity generating units.
Of course, considering the meagre royalties that are paid to the state for the crude itself, it is foolhardy to hope for anything at all.  
Santanu.   



-----Original Message-----
From: xourov pathok [mailto:xourov at yahoo.com]
Sent: Mon 7/2/2007 2:42 PM
To: assam at assamnet.org; Roy, Santanu
Subject: Refinery pollution
 

santanu roy said:

> From BBC:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6220892.stm

i was talking to someone in guwahati this weekend, and
he mentioned that some species of fish have
disappeared due to pollution.

x


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