N O M I N A T I O N / I N I T I A L R E P O R T
(Published December 2004)
Eloor, Kerala, India
Site
Description
Human
Exposure & Health Impact
Site
Progress
Site Description 
Location & Size of Site
Eloor is an island on the Periyar river, the largest river in Kerala State, near the industrial city of Kochi (southwest coast of India), 17km from the Arabian Sea.
Eloor's economy historically centered around fishing, supplemented by agriculture. The Periyar River has been the primary source of food and drinking water, and the source for all household and communal town activities that rely on water, including laundry, bathing, etc.
The middle of the 20th century saw Eloor's expansion into an industrial hub. Two hundred and forty-seven primarily chemical factories known as the Udyogamandal Indusrial Estate actively operate on this island.
A water sample from a creek which receives effluent from one of the major pesticide companies, “contained more than 100 organic compounds, 39 of which were organochlorines, including DDT and its metabolites, endosulfan and several isomers of hexa-chloro-cyclo-hexane (HCH). DDT and its metabolites were also detectable in the wetlands surrounding the industrial estate.”
“Sediments collected from this particular site also contained high levels of heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury and zinc.”
“Air emissions range from acid mists to sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and chlorine gas”.
How are the toxins being transmitted?
Water/Food: Through severe pollution of the Periyar River. The industries rely on the fresh water of the Periyar for operation, and return untreated or mildly treated toxic effluent. At least 30 of the nearly 300 industries dump untreated waste directly into the river through unauthorized pipes. While the village fish supply had been contaminated over the years, it is now virtually extinct.
Soil/Food: Paddy fields in the area are nourished by industrial effluent. What's left of these crops is contaminated, though at this point fields are virtually barren.
In 1956 the notorious Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL) began manufacturing a variety of pesticides, including DDT and Endosulfan. While both of these pesticides have been banned around the world, HIL remains one of the few companies that continues to produce them even today.
In addition to pesticides, this and many other companies produce petrochemicals, rubber processing chemicals, fertilizers, zinc/chrome products and leather products. Most operate using the same technology as they did in the 50's, and accidents have been reported. HIL's Endosulfan plant, for example, recently caught fire.
Human Exposure & Health Impact
Number of Potentially Affected People
30,092 (Population of Eloor)
Health Impact of Pollutant
If you are a resident of Eloor:
•The chance that you will contract CANCER is increased 2.85 times;
•Your children are 2.63 times risk to be malformed due to congenital and chromosomal aberrations;
•The chances that your children may die due to birth defects increases 3.8 times;
•Death due to bronchitis in Eloor is up by 3.4 times;
•Death due to asthma in Eloor is up by 2.2 times;
•There is a 3 times greater chance (when compared to a pollution-free place) that you will suffer from mental and behavioral problems.
August 2004: Site reviewed by the Technical Advisory Board. Blacksmith Institute will visit this site.
— Olga Petryniak
