90% health care workers against coal mining: Survey

Nagpur: About 90% of health care workers in the country are against the expansion of coal mines, reveals a social media survey.
Clean Air Collective, which is a coalition of civil society groups working on air pollution and health-related issues, conducted the survey on social media. According to the survey, 90% of the health care workers were of the view that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus on unleashing renewable energy.
Nearly 95% of the respondents opined that burning of coal causes air pollution which in turn causes respiratory ailments. Around 258 respondents comprising of doctors, nurses pharmacists and other health care workers participated in the survey.
“While all the respondents were aware of PM’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat plan, only 40% knew that the plan also included coal mine expansion,” stated a press release by Clean Air Collective.
As per the survey, 88% of health care workers stated that fighting pandemics such as Covid-19, which affect the respiratory system, becomes all the more difficult if the air pollution increases.
The Aatmanirbhar Bharat plan was announced as part of the Covid-19 economic recovery package. On May 16, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the opening up of the coal mining industry to the private sector. The plan also included auctioning 50 new coal mines with an average lifespan of 50 years.
Expressing disapproval over the Centre’s decision, experts stressed on the need for clean energy transition. “While countries like Sweden, Belgium, Austria and now Germany go coal free, India, during the pandemic, is set to auction 50 coal mines that will have an adverse impact on forests and indigenous communities. The only chances for India to have a bright future is when we stop investing in coal, reduce emission from the existing coal and shut them down in a phased manner, making energy transition to renewable energy,” said Bhavreen Kandhari from #MyRightToBreathe.
Stating that the objective of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat plan was to be self-sufficient and to increase the country’s ability to deal with pandemics, director of Climate Trends Aarti Khosla said, “Coal should not be included in that plan since it will most certainly lead to increased air pollution and a host of troubles locally as well as in India’s broader energy policy.”
At a time when the entire world is moving away from coal, the country seems to be moving backwards, stated activist Rinchin. “The adivasi community is the most impacted by coal mining since a long time. They have been struggling to save their land. They have also been raising the issue of their health. It’s time we hear them out,” he added.
IN A NUTSHELL
* 90% of health care workers against expansion of coal mines
* Want PM to focus on clean energy
* 88% feel fighting pandemics to become difficult if air pollution increases
* Experts say country moving backwards
* Adivasi community to be most impacted