35-year-old Kale Khan of Bhujpura Aligarh who was working in an electroplating plant of an exporters hardware unit is suffering from serious asthma disease. He holds hazardous trichloroethylene (TCE) and chemicals being used in factory responsible for his illness.
Chandar Prakash Varshney, 76-year-old from Mitra Nagar, who has died earlier in mid july was suffering from breathlessness. He had suffered from this disease due to inhaling the polluted air existed in his neighbourhood where several hardware units were functioning.
Salim, a 26-year-old boy of Jeewangarh who has been working in a hardware unit of Industrial state area, is suffering from kidney disease. He is another victim of trichloroethylene.
DV Singh, a retired army officer who died suffering from Central neuro depression also blamed Trichloroethylene for this aliment before his demise because he was leaving near Shakti Nagar Industrial Area.
Kale Khan , Chandra Prakash, Salim and DV Singh are not the only victims of Trichloroethylene but there are many more in Aligarh whose lives are at stake on account of inhaling polluted air existed from the hazardous Trichloroethylene chemicals used in lock and hardware units of Aligarh.
Sources said that more than 4000 units of lock and hard ware are working in Aligarh , mostely lock and hardware manufacturing units of Aligarh used hazardous chemicals.
Trichloroethylene has already been banned in most of the western countries. Dr. Anil Kumar, scientist, told that Trichloroethylene is a non flammable, colourless liquid. It is mainly used for removing grease from metal parts before brass products go for final polishing.
They all depend on TCE to remove strains. This chemical generally used by all exporters in these units for the brightness of their export articles. TCE is listed an a hazardous chemical at serial number 644 under the manufacturing, storage and import of hazardous chemical rules 1989, notified by the Union Ministry of environment.
According to U.S. environmental protection agency this chemical is an animal carcinogen and a potential cancer hazard, sniffing of Trichloroethylene vapours cause liver and kidney damage and some times even deaths. According to estimates of the Aligarh office of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board there are at lest 125 units using this chemical in Aligarh. But Dr. Anil Kumar says that near about 2000 units are owing this hazardous this TCE, but the thing that is important is most of these industries are located in residential areas. Dr. Anil Kumar added that neither the district administration nor the labour department is bothered. Despite the Supreme Court's order asking the District Pollution Control Board Office and District Administration to close down 120 units that are using TCE, no action has been taken till now.