S I T E   N O M I N A T I O N

Dandeli, Karnataka, India

Nominator: Polluted Places

Description:
Complaints of hazardous effluents being dumped into the Kali River. Dandeli is home to an important wildlife refuge, one of India's largest primal forests. Residents complain of a nauseating smell (probably sulphur compounds from air emissions) and black water coming from a local paper mill (also known as “black liquour”, unchlorinated material that’s escaped the recover process).

Population: The mill indirectly supports about 10,000 people. There are more residents in area.

Toxins: No studies available on the paper mill effluents. However, these the typical waste products of a paper mill --

Air Emmissions:
-- highly malodorous emissions of reduced sulphur compounds, including hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide.
-- Particulates
-- Sulphur oxide
-- Nitrogen oxide
-- Volatile organic compounds
-- Fly ash
Water Emmissions:
-- Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
-- Solids (waste paper & bark)
-- Chemical oxygen demand (COD), including dioxins, furans, & other adsorbable organic halides
-- Phosphorus
-- Nitrogen
-- Heavy metals like manganese
Solid Wastes:
-- Waste paper & bark
-- Lime sludge
-- Ash

Health Impact:
-- The presence of high quantities of organic matter in the effluent could have resulted in the recent outbreak of severe gastroenteritis in the village of Kariampaali. One man died of renal failure.
-- Death of cattle has also been reported
-- Layers of pulp on ground inhibits agriculture in area.
-- Other health tests don’t appear to have been done.