Blogchatter A2Z: Environmental Degradation

On the outskirts of the urban city, industrialists planned to expand another waste treatment industry. The people residing in the area gathered around the administration staff. The staff informed the residents about the new industrial project. They also declared in exchange, every family would receive a place to live and an income source if required.

There was chaos in the minds of residents. They discussed amongst themselves in their local language that the staff could not understand. They stood confused, looking for confirmation. After discussion for long hours, the locals came forward with their terms and conditions to accept the proposal. The admin people got perplexed and started looking at each other as they did not anticipate this reaction from villagers.

The industrialist showed up when staff members were consulting about locals' proposals. Everyone jolted from their conversation seeing him, and one of the officials briefed him about the discussions that happened since their arrival. There was no exchange of words from his side except "hmm." The locals decided amongst themselves not to leave their homes in the wrong hands until they received a home and income source.

After the briefing, the industrialists addressed locals, assuring them they would get what they wanted in return for their lands. He would like to know their conditions. The wisest man in the group came forward to put forth the conditions, including the first one that they would leave their lands only after new homes were ready. The second condition stated the income source should cover the health insurance of each worker as that would be in the waste treatment industry. 

Without much thought, the industrialist told his manager to confirm these conditions, though the manager opposed and tried to recount the loss. But he did not let him speak further. There was a roar of cheer to the new life of locals. They started dancing and hugging each other.

The industrialist built quarters for the locals near the factory. They made them relocate within a few months of the discussion. The locals were happy in their new homes. They felt they cracked a great deal in bargaining their lands for new homes and income. 

Little did they know that the industrialist was a cunning man. He accepted their conditions so that he could manipulate them for his benefit. The industrialists provided them with everything so that they could rule them and get cheap labor for more work. 

One day, while working, a worker came in contact with a Hepatitis A infection and fell. Other employees joined him and took him to a vacant place. But he did not get conscious, and they went to the manager requesting an ambulance. The manager told them to resume work and that he would take care of them. However, locals did not want to leave his side but had to because the manager threatened them with deducting their wages.

After work, other employees visited him at the hospital, and he was lying in the general ward unattended, still unconscious. One of them called the manager and told him about the situation. The manager informed them that he could not do anything. They needed to take care of hospital bills as the insurance policy did not include it.

They somehow managed to get his treatment started but could not hold him for long as their savings were not enough for his health. After a few days, they lost him and performed after-death rites with his family. They seemed surprised when nobody from the factory showed up. It was awakening for them that the officials and industrialists fooled them in the name of health insurance. It was too late for them to retaliate, so they continued work, and similar problems occurred with other employees.

After a few months of working, they realized that due to this factory, there is not safe for them to live when they noticed their vegetation dying due to water discharge from the factory. The soil was degrading, and health conditions were deteriorating. They were not receiving any help from factory officials or the industrialists.

After losing their loved ones, they raised their voices and asked the manager to take their demands, or they would leave the work. The manager did not attend them. 

The locals decided to take some actions to improve the environment as their lives depend on it. In the wages they received from the factory, they could not feed their family and needed to grow their crops and vegetation, which seemed to be deprived due to factory water discharge and soil degradation in the fertile area.

After much effort, they failed to improve conditions. The locals started to move to their native places because they burnt their homes in the greed of getting new homes and income sources that harassed them in the name of providing health benefits, causing risk to their lives.

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