India Today ·
ITV report says asbestos waste in Kymore still endangers residents
An ITV News investigation has spotlighted widespread asbestos contamination linked to a former UK-owned factory in Kymore. The report raises fresh questions about corporate accountability as residents face severe illness decades later.
A former British industrial giant’s decision to base an asbestos factory in Madhya Pradesh continues to put lives at risk decades later, according to a report by UK broadcaster ITV News on Thursday. The report said the town of Kymore remains contaminated by an estimated 1 million tonnes of asbestos waste linked to Turner & Newall, once one of Britain’s largest and most profitable industrial companies.
ITV News said asbestos-contaminated dirt, dust and soil can still be found in playgrounds, sports fields, residential neighbourhoods and open land across the town. Dr Muralidhar Venkiteswaran, who has diagnosed residents over the years, told the channel: “I’m really shocked that practically everyone seems to have asbestosis in this town, in this particular town.”
