Industrialization has been
defined as 'the process of change in the mode of production to utilise more
capital per unit of output, higher levels of technology and management,
widening markets with cost economics scale and specialised location of plant,
type of plant and labour skills'.
Side
effects of such industrialization are to increase accidents, occupational
diseases, polluted environment, unsafe working conditions and rapid
urbanisation resulting in road accidents and vehicular pollution.
Accidents
Facts, 1997, National Safety Council, USA, writes about increasing trend of
accidents and injuries in USA as under:
"The
un-intentional-injury deaths continued to increase for the fourth consecutive
year in 1996 (86777 in 1992 to 98400 in 1996)... The toll of nonfatal injuries is
also enormous. About 10207 million Americans need medical treatment every year
due to work injuries. The economic impact of these fatal and nonfatal injuries
amounted to $444.1 billion in 1996. This is about $1700 per capita or about
$4500 per household".
"The
five leading causes of such injury and death, which account for 80% of such
deaths were unchanged in 1996. Motor-vehicles,
falls, poisoning by solids and liquids, fire & burns and drowning have been
the top five causes since 1970".
The President of Indian Institute of Chemical
Engineers, Ashok Panjwani, told at 49th Annual Session on 18-12-96 at Bharuch -
"Industrialisation is the key for the growth of economy. However, growth
at the cost of environment is proving to be detrimental
to the society. There has been a
tendency to forget the environment in the process of rapid growth of chemical
industries".
"Safety
has to be built into the culture. The safety standards of several organisations
are equivalent to international standards but in many other industries safety is still a slogan".
The
industries increased after the first and second world war and with rapid
scientific inventions and applications during the 20th century. The
20th century (1901 to 2000) historically earmarked for the constant
rise of scientific inventions, researches, applications, industrialisation and
mobility in every walk of life. It cannot be described in short. Here we are
concerned with the impacts and ill effects of all such rising and roaring industrialisation
as unwanted evil for the mankind.
Japan
received complaints of environmental pollution and occupational diseases during
1957 to 1960 and it left such chemical industries soon after 1960 and turned
toward electronics industry to keep its environment clean. Japan, USA and
Canada were compelled to enact strict environment protection laws during this
time, which we did during 1986 and thereafter. Our National Forest Policy of
1988 has failed to control environmental pollution. For healthy environment 33%
land should be kept reserved for forests, which is reduced to 12% resulting in
continuous decrease of birds, animals, vegetation, greenery and clean
atmosphere for healthy life.
As
per information up to 31-3-1998, total industrial investment in Gujarat was of
Rs. 108777 crores. Out of that 54% was for production sector 'and 22.08% for
power. 57000 crores was to be invested in petrochemical and chemical
industries. Bharuch, Surat, Vadodara and Jamnagar would become the highly
industrialised areas. An industrial park at the cost of Rs. 1000 crores was to
be sanctioned by the Govt. of Gujarat, to establish chemical and petrochemical
industries at Motiberu, near Dholica, Dist. Ahmedabad (News 6-11-97).
In
Gujarat 2435 new projects involving Rs. 1250 crores were under various stages
of implementation during 1997-98. SSI units increased up to 194000 till the end
of 1996. Present installed power capacity of 7721 MW will be raised to 15000 MW
at the end of 9th Five Year Plan. Gujarat may secure leading position as
industrial state among the Asian countries in the 21st century (News 25-12-97).
Gujarat
Infrastructure Agenda: Vision 2010 occupied a full-page advertisement on
27-6-4999. It states 383 world-class infrastructure projects of Rs. 116993
crores! Till 2010 it is planned to have 17477 MW electricity at the cost of Rs.
55167 crores, transportation of 289 million ton cargo at ports, 24 new
industrial estates (including 10 port based industrial estates) at the cost of
Rs. 7161 crores, 105 new roads with Rs. 19951 crores, 38 new railway projects
with Rs. 6533 crores, 49 new water and gutter schemes, II new townships, 51 new
systems of urban transportation, 1507 km long gas-grid, new air ports and
information technology facilities of Rs. 400 crores. This blueprint of Gujarat,
if implemented, will certainly increase rapid industrialisation and in turn
safety problems too! It indicates high need of safety technology and accident
prevention work.
With
such rapid industrialisation, roads and. traffic will also increase. A scheme
of Rs. 1400 crores -to develop highways in Gujarat has been sanctioned by the
Government (News 1-11-97). Expansions of KRIBHCO plants to produce 1350 MT
ammonia and 2200 MT urea both at Hazira and Gorakhpur, at the total cost of Rs.
2314 crores was announced on 6-1197 (News 7-11-97). Such continuous industrial
expansion and increasing hazards also increase the need of safety.
It
is also reported that only because of the high hazard potential, Vadodara will
become the country's headquarters for disaster management. A central control
room - the only one in the country - for managing disasters will be set up
(under UDMP) there (News 7-10-97).
During
last ten years, industries, workers, raw materials, products, pollution,
transportation of men and material and their hazards have been increased
tremendously. The Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) has reported that
industrial production during first four months of 1997-98 was increased by 6.4%
comparing with the same period of 1996-97.
The
courts are constantly issuing orders to close down the polluting factories. It
has also directed to use some less polluting fuel like pentane to decrease
vehicular pollution. Looking to the increasing trend of road accidents and
falling of school buses in river, the court's directives regarding traffic
rules have been shown on TV.
The
road accidents are .also increasing as a result of side effects of growing
industrialisation and urbanisation. Some figures are as under:
As
per report published in 2002, 'India is at No.1 in the world in the matter of
road accidents. Sixty thousand people died due to road accidents last year.’
(Editorial 18-12-02).
As
per report published on 7-2-97, every year some 3 lakhs road accidents take
place in India in which more than 60000 people die and @ Rs. 35 crores economic
loss results. 20 Lakhs two-wheelers were reported only in Delhi on 1-11-97.
From this very day, the helmet was made compulsory in Delhi for all back-riders
on two-wheelers. Why? for the purpose of safety only.
The
year 1997 was celebrated as Road Safety Year in Gujarat and it is reported that
during this year the figure of average daily accidents raised to 95 from the
similar figure of 83 in 1996. Figure of daily average fatal accident was also
increased to 15, which was 13, in 1996. During first 9 months of 1997 the total
road accidents were 25247 out of which 4062 were fatal. Around 50% fatal
accidents occurred on highways (News 6-2-98).
In
the year 2002, in Gujarat, 4178 people died and 22000 injured due to road
accidents (News 13-01-03)