Document mdg88owJ43MQVOoJRzqLwEBZ

FILE NAME: Shree Digvijay (SDV) DATE: 1981 Apr 6 DOC#: SDV022 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: SDV Letter The Editor, New Scientist, RE Barry Castleman's Article on Shree Digvijay Cement Factory -.PIE I f ie* b h K t t-- U ( b ^ 7 2 6 4 - 6 ^ - 6 l>"*7 .re? 3*tv?r-tr/t* 'J AVCiM EN T' AHMEDAbAD W M U t C12-34D 5JCC Ii\l V IJ A T ( A c-Hr S T O P n ivi m in i v> v j ivi r f RODUCTS DIVISION ) /"A i n r REF. p o ['I G V I J A Y NAG A A A H V E F A P A D S S 2A7C MNDIA; April 06, 1981. M ichael Kenuaro, Esq. The E d i t o r , Neu S c i e n t i s t , Commonweal th H o us e, 1-19, Neu L x f o r d S t r e e t ) LONDON UC1A 1NG Dear S i r , Ue h a ve been r a t h e r a s t o n i s h e d t o r e a d Mr. B a r r y C a s t l e m a n ' s a r t i c l e on o u r U n i t S h r e e D i g v i j a y Cement F a c t o r y ( A s b e s t o s P r o d u c t s D i v i s i o n ) a t D i g v i j a y n a g a r , Ahmedabad in yo u r i s s u e o f 2 6 t h F e b r u a r y , 1981 under h e a d i n g ' D o u b l e S t a n d a r d s A s b e s t o s i n I n d i a ' . To t h e b e s t of o u r k n o w l e d g e , n e i t h e r M r.B a rry Castleman nor any a u th o ris e d r e p r e s e n t a t iv e of your j o u r n a l v i s i t e d our p la n t . y\j>V m The a l l e g a t i o n s made i n t h e r e p o r t a r e f a r from t r u t h . As an e m p l o y e r , we a r e c o n s c i o u s of i n d u s t r i a l h y g i e n e and ue p r o v i d e a d e q u ate working c o n d i t i o n s to s a f e g u a r d h e a l t h of o ur c o m m u n ity . The Company has p r o v i d e d i n t h e f a c t o r y expensive Dust Ex tractio n equipments. Besides th is , severa l o t h e r measures have been t a k e n and a r e a l s o in th e p r o c ess of i m p l e m e n t a t i o n and we f e e l t h a t ' t h e c o n d i t i o n s d e s c r i b e d F y you a r e r a t h e r im a g in a ry . W o r k e r s a r e p e r i o d i c a l l y examined by D o c t o r s and d u r i n g 18 y e a r s o f o u r o p e r a t i o n , we h a v e h a r d l v found a c a s e , as a l a r m i n Q and s e r i o u s as m a g n i f i e d i n v o u r a r t i c l e , which, can be a t t r i b u t e d t o th e working c o n d i t i o n s in our p l a n t . J suA' . . S0&' M l* * - L o c a l Governm ent F a c t o r y I n s p e c t o r s , O f f i c i a l s and D o cto rs p e r i o d i c a l l y v i s i t o u r p l a n t t o check w h e t h e r we comply w i t h t h e I n d i a n R u l e s & R e g u l a t i o n s or n o t . T h e r e f o r e , s u c h an a r t i c l e in a magazine l i k e yours has not only estran ged our f e e l i n g s and t h a t o f t h e e n t i r e I n d i a n A sb esto s I n d u s t r y , but h a v e a l s o c h a l l e n g e d t h e a u t h e n t i c i t y norms, r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s of S t a t e and C e n t r a l Government o f I n d i a . You w i l l p l e a s e a p p r e c i a t e t h a t im pro v em en t i n any I n d u s t r y i s a c o n t i n u o u s p r o c e s s , and we a r e q u i t e a l i v e and c o n s c i o u s of our r e s p o n s i b i l i t y in im p le m e n tin g i n n o v a t i o n s and im pro vements f o r t h e b e t t e r m e n t of th e workmen and community. Ue a r e s u r p r i s e d t h a t w i t h o u t t a k i n g t h e t r o u b l e t o a t l e a s t .check w i t h us t h e t r u t h , suc h1 w i l d a l l e g a t i o n s c o u l d be made a g a i n s t us and a m i s l e a d i n g a r t i c l e s h o u l d f i n d a p l a c e and p a t r o n a g e by a m a g a z i n e l i k e y o u r s . Ue must s a y , yo u h a ve been more than u n f a i r to us, M/s. Cohns M a n v i l l e , U . S . A , our C o l l a b o r a t o r s and to t h e e n t i r e A s b e s t o s I n d u s t r y i n g e n e r a l , and to In d ia in p a r t ic u la r . `hanking you, Yours f a i t h f u l l y , f o r S h r e e D i g v i j a y Cement Co^. Ltd, REGD. OFFICE : DIGVIJAYGRAM, VIA JAMNAGAR. /g ^ g ^ A n 'D A R l ) ^GEN IMANAGER. ' .