Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal
 Cover of the 1st edition | |
| Author | Ameer Shahul |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Industrial pollution |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan in India |
Publication date | 10 February 2023 |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 416 pp (First Edition) |
| ISBN | 978-9390742660 |
Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal is an award winning non-fiction book by Indian author Ameer Shahul, published by Pan Macmillan in February 2023.[1][2]
The book is about the environmental issues faced by the local population in the Indian hill station of Kodaikanal after Mercury poisoning from a thermometer-making factory and is widely known as Kodaikanal mercury poisoning.[3] It narrates the unfolding of the accident and the consequences over a period of time, and the litigations and confrontation with the polluter pursued by the local community with the help of local, national and global environmentalists over a period of time.[4]
The book was launched in India by Erik Solheim, the former executive director of United Nations Environment Programme and former Norway Environment Minister in Chennai on March 25, 2023.[5][6]
Heavy Metal won the prestigious 'Book of the Year' award in 2024 from the Green Literature Festival, under the 'Green Business' category. [7] The book was also longlisted for the prestigious Tata Literature Live! Literary Awards 2023 under the Best Non-Fiction First Book category. [8][9]
Background
[edit]In March 2001, the discovery of a large quantity of mercury waste from a local scrapyard in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, led to an expose.[10] The Hindustan Unilever (HUL) thermometer plant, shipped from New York to the hill station in 1983, had been letting out mercury vapours into the atmosphere and disposing of mercury-laden waste to local scrap dealers. The local community, aided by Greenpeace, forced Unilever to shut down this India factory and clean up the site.[11] Many workers of the factory complained of illnesses in the following years, and by some accounts, 28 people died, after alleged exposure to the toxic heavy metal, mercury at the workplace.[12]
Demanding better clean-up standards and reparations, the locals took the company to the Madras High Court, the National Green Tribunal and ultimately to the Supreme Court of India – a long legal battle which ended with a sealed out-of-court settlement in 2016 and a ruling from the Supreme Court of India in 2019. In Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal, the author chronicles this incident and its aftermath in detail. Drawing from his own experience as a Greenpeace campaigner for the cause, he presents a portrait of the struggle, survival and resilience of the community.[13]
Reception
[edit]In its review, the Hindu Business Line suggested that the Kodai case can be 'a good pointer to be on our guard and save the environment'. The book is a compelling read and Shahul must be commended for documenting an eminently forgettable environmental blot that had a tragic impact on people’s health.[14]
The Indian Express described the book as a ‘crisp cinematic account of corporate greed and the struggle for justice in India.’[15] Describing the book as an ‘essential read', Open (Indian magazine) said ‘that it took Unilever more than 15 years to compensate affected workers is a reminder of the humongous costs of such mistakes’.[16]
Deccan Herald described the book as 'a blunt and bold account of a tragedy',[17] while Malayala Manorama termed it as 'the gripping take on an industrial tragedy, and of green resistance'.[18]
The Financial Express (India) called it 'a case study on corporate and regulatory failures'.[19] The New Indian Express described it as 'an exceptional book that offers a comprehensive and compelling account of not just the disaster, but also its aftermath'.[20]
Hindustan Times said “This terrifying cautionary tale of corporate negligence is essential reading”. In its review, the paper said Heavy Metal, which recounts the struggle for environmental justice in India, also shows how elusive it is despite decades of social activism. “With activism having been throttled in recent times, corporate negligence of environmental regulations may remain lax. By telling the story of this disaster in a compelling way, Shahul clearly hopes to make readers vigilant about capturing future corporate manipulations of the system when it comes to environmental obligations,” it said.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ Press Trust of India (9 February 2023). "Heavy Metal' Book on Kodaikanal mercury poisoning catastrophe to release on Friday". The Week. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Macmillan India, Pan (9 February 2023). "Heavy Metal". Pan Macmillan. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Gandhi, Divya (26 March 2023). "Kodaikanal one of Asia's mercury hotspots: Ameer Shahul". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Neelakantan, Murali (15 April 2023). "Heavy Metal is a crisp cinematic account of corporate greed and the struggle for justice in India". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Times, of India (26 March 2023). "Mercury poisoning can affect generations to come, says Eric Solhiem". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Hindu, The (26 March 2023). "'Mercury may be present in Kodaikanal forest soil for centuries'". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Green, Literature Festival (8 December 2024). "Book of the Year – Award Winners". Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ LiteratureLive, Tata (9 October 2023). "TATA LITERATURE LIVE! LITERARY AWARDS LONGLISTS FOR 2023 ANNOUNCED". Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ In, Scroll (9 October 2023). "Tata Literature Live announces longlists for its fiction, nonfiction, and business books awards". Scroll.in. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Lawrence M, Salinger. "Encyclopedia of White-Collar & Corporate Crime, Volume 1". Sage Publications. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ NGO Coalition (22 March 2001). "Hindustan Lever admits dumping Mercury Waste". Basel Action Network. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ AFP (9 March 2016). "Unilever settles dispute over mercury poisoning in India". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Iyer, Kavitha (7 April 2023). "'We Sent 300 Tonnes Of Mercury Waste Back To The US. It Was A Milestone For Anti-Dumping Campaigns'". Article 14. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Somasekar, M (18 June 2017). "Book review: Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Neelakantan, Murali (18 June 2017). "Heavy Metal is a crisp cinematic account of corporate greed and the struggle for justice in India". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ NP, Ullekh (18 June 2017). "Toxic Truths: An investigation into the mercury poisoning of Kodaikanal". Open Magazine. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Shahul, Ameer. "With Lichen and Moss as Allies". Deccanherald.com. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Heavy Metal: A gripping take on an industrial tragedy, and of green resistance". Malayala Manorama. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Kodaikanal's tragedy: From the lens of one incident, a case study on corporate and regulatory failures". The Financial Express. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ Parichcha, Mayank (21 May 2023). "Following the Toxic Trail". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ Sharma, Sudhirendar (7 October 2023). "Review: Heavy Metal by Ameer Shahul". The Hindustan Times. New Delhii. Retrieved 11 March 2023.