Local resistance movements in Mehdiganj in the state of Varanasi, India staged a protest today against Coca Cola's continued mining of groundwater for a bottling plant.
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Protest for closure of Coca Cola plant in Varanasi on Nov 30
Nvember 28, 2009
UNI (United News of India)
Varanasi, Nov. 28 -- Residents of Mehdiganj and adjacent villages will protest on November 30 to demand the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the area. Talking to reporters here today, Nand Lal Mater, the convenor of Lok Samiti -- a national alliance of peoples' movements -- said the Coca Cola company was responsible for worsening the water conditions in the area. The water conditions were set to get worse as the impacts of climate change became real in Varanasi. He said the ground water levels in the Araziline block, where Coca Cola's bottling plant is located, fell by six metres in the first six years of its operations in the area. He said the ground water level at Coca-Cola bottling plant was the lowest in the area, according to Coca Cola itself. Mr Lal added this year the water conditions in the Araziline block were some of the worst impacted in the region.
The State Irrigation department has confirmed that the majority of the tubewells that went dry in the area were in the same block. He said there was no place for Coca-Cola in Mehdiganj. ''Coca Cola must shut down its bottling plant in the area to ease the impacts of climate change,'' he added. Residents of Mehdiganj and adjacent villages will protest on November 30 to demand the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the area. Talking to reporters here today, Nand Lal Mater, the convenor of Lok Samiti -- a national alliance of peoples' movements -- said the Coca Cola company was responsible for worsening the water conditions in the area. The water conditions were set to get worse as the impacts of climate change became real in Varanasi. He said the ground water levels in the Araziline block, where Coca Cola's bottling plant is located, fell by six metres in the first six years of its operations in the area. He said the ground water level at Coca-Cola bottling plant was the lowest in the area, according to Coca Cola itself. Mr Lal added this year the water conditions in the Araziline block were some of the worst impacted in the region. The State Irrigation department has confirmed that the majority of the tubewells that went dry in the area were in the same block. He said there was no place for Coca-Cola in Mehdiganj. ''Coca Cola must shut down its bottling plant in the area to ease the impacts of climate change,'' he added.Published by HT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For more information on news feed please contact Sarabjit Jagirdar at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
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