https://act.jhatkaa.org/campaigns/unilever-take-action
In the name of “cleaning up” the mercury contamination in its former thermometer factory, the anglodutch multinational’s Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has illegally clear-felled more than 425 trees from its mercury-tainted site adjacent to Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary. This reckless action has removed the protective cover offered by the vegetation and exposed the contaminated soil to the elements. While the winds blow the toxic dust into nearby homes, the heavy rains of the highlands are estimated to have washed out more than 100 kg of toxic mercury into the sanctuary, poisoning aquatic food chains in the wilderness area.
Once again, Unilever has displayed a contempt for India’s environment and the safety of its people. In 2001, it was caught for illegally dumping several tonnes of mercury wastes. Several hundred workers were injured due to exposure to mercury in the workplace. In 2016, only after “Kodaikanal Won’t” -- a rap song calling out Unilever -- went viral did the company settle with its workers. But the factory site remains dangerously contaminated. Now Unilever has made bad things worse with its reckless actions of clear-felling the trees and poisoning the sanctuary and nearby homes.
Activists say 300 trees cut at HUL Kodaikanal factory site https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/activists-say-300-trees-cut-at-hul-kodaikanal-factory-site/article36009318.ece August 20, 2021
Nityanand Jayaraman of Chennai Solidarity Group said as per the Upscaled Remediation Plan approved by the TNPCB in 2018 and a soil conservation study, no tree should be felled and steps need to be taken to ensure that standing trees are not destabilised due to excavation of contaminated soil. He alleged that the violation was supervised by NEERI that was deputed onsite to ensure that the remediation goes as per the plan prepared by it.
However, HUL refuted the charges and said, “Only a minimum number of trees have been cut. Once remediation is complete, we will plant more trees than what we have had to cut. This seems to be another attempt to spread misinformation and delay soil remediation.”