Major protest against Coca-Cola in India

"Over a thousand villagers protested at Coca-Cola’s north India headquarters in Gurgaon [last week], demanding that the company take immediate actions to clean up its act in India or leave India.

"The protest at Coca-Cola’s headquarters comes at the end of the 'Water Rights Tour', where residents from the village of Mehdiganj in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh traveled across the state to raise awareness on the issue of groundwater depletion and pollution by the Coca-Cola company and Pepsico.

"Close to 1,500 villagers also protested at the Parliament of India in Delhi on Tuesday, demanding that the government take action against the Coca-Cola company and Pepsico.

"The village of Mehdiganj and surrounding villages have been experiencing severe water shortages since Coca-Cola started bottling operations in the village, and the remaining groundwater and the soil have been polluted as a result of the bottling plant’s operations.

"A recent study of water conditions in eight villages within a 3 kilometer radius of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj found that the number of wells that had dried up increased seven-fold since Coca-Cola commenced operations in the area, and on an average, the water levels in the wells in the area had dropped 18 feet.

"The Central Pollution Control Board of India, the primary environmental regulatory agency, has also confirmed high levels of lead, cadmium and chromium in the sludge being produced by the Coca-Cola plant."
Scoop

Coca-Cola sucking communities dry :: Boycott Coca-Cola Campaign

ICLEI Water Campaign :: Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable

Wilson's Almanac Action Page :: Wilson's Almanac Action Photos

Tagged: environment, progressive, activism, water