An Assessment of Health Issues Present in Kathikkudam: A Green Criminological Perspective

Abstract

Improper disposal of hazardous waste may negatively affect human beings and other living organisms and the whole environment itself; hence it is considered as an offence against environment. A school of criminology known as ‘green criminology’ studies crimes and harms committing against environment which adversely affect ecology, living and non-living organisms. Illegal and improper hazardous waste disposal poses severe threats to humans which may appear in the form of health issues such as various diseases may be caused to the people living in surroundings. But most of the time it may not be appeared or come into lime light till an epidemic is outburst. In Kathikkudam there are chemical factories which manufacture pharmaceutical products like Gelatin, Collagen Peptide, Ossein, Di Calcium, etc. situated in the banks of Chalakkudy River, Thrissur. By using animal bones and chemicals to produce Ossein – a precursor to gelatin, the factories take 20-million-liter water per day from the river and as a byproduct huge quantity of hazardous waste is generated. This toxic waste is disposed to the Chalakkudy River and water canals running nearby those factories. It violates environmental protection rules like Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008, Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and anti-pollution laws of air and water. This illegal waste disposal may cause to permanent degradation of soil and water sources and also creates air pollution due to the stench present. One of the main impacts of such disposal is that several people living in neighborhood may be affected with various health issues. The present study tried to analyze various diseases present in Kathikkudam by using quantitative research techniques. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire and the collected data was processed statistically and the results were derived. The pollution of air and water is tangible. Various types of long-term diseases and several health issues were detected.