20/03/2017
A team of medical students from the ESIC Medical College & PGIMSR, KK Nagar, Chennai along with a team from the Madras Medical College, Chennai visited the areas near the Ennore Thermal Energy plants on 16.03.2017 guided by member of the Healthy Energy Initiative. The trip was a very different experience for all of us. The volunteer who explained the various environmental damages that have happened in the area because of the thermal energy plants, Mr. Saravanan, was passionate about his work with the Healthy Energy Initiative and explained the various environmental degradations very clearly. This was the first visit for many of us to Ennore. To even imagine, that we are living just a few kilometres from here, but are completely oblivious to the environmental conditions in our own neighbourhood was eye opening to many of us. The giant rises of the thermal plants, puffing their exhaust fumes, discharging their hot water into the sea, dumping their ash into the open spaces, leaking the ash into the Ennore river and creek and destroying the green belt of mangroves, were all explained by Mr. Saravanan and it was disheartening to see all this.
Even as we were walking down the street in the Kuruvi Medu village, women walked out of the houses and joined us for an informal discussion on the road. They complained about the level of air pollution due to the ash that was dumped in their own backyard. One of the women said, “recently you college students created a huge uprising to uphold our tradition, the Jallikattu. Now we are looking up to you to find a solution for our air pollution problem”. There was a strong narrative of bad quality air for breathing and all its adverse health impacts.
As we finished the tour and walked back to the van to return to our homes, we were all asking the same questions:
1. Is such a heavy cost in terms of health and livelihood of people proportional to the development that is brought about by the thermal energy plants and the various factories in the area?
2. Where is the long term vision about environment and life of future generations that is necessary in leadership? If such a long term vision had been present could the environmental degradation have been avoided?
3. How just is a system where some people have to suffer the consequences of environmental degradation and poor health, for the sake of electricity for many people? How fair is it when the problem is identified and these people are still left unattended.
4. Doesn’t the same government hold responsibility for all the people’s lives, both the ones enjoying the electricity as well as those who are suffering the adverse consequences?
Throughout the visit, the single recurring theme, not only in Mr. Saravanan’s narrative, but also in the community narrative, was this giant common enemy called “development”. It felt like it is high time that we do something about this and the role of activists like the Healthy Energy Initiative is much appreciated. We would like to thank the Healthy Energy Initiative for organizing this tour for us and showing us first-hand what we are doing to our environment in the name of development.
