Amit Srivastava from the India Resource Center confirms that the Coke Plant in Sinhachawar in Ballia district of UP is being shut down. The management cites 'unbearable losses ' as the reason for the shutdown. Local community rejoices. Related Links
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The India Resource Center can confirm that the Coca-Cola company has shut down another bottling plant in India - in Sinhachawar in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. A community-led campaign had demanded the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sinhachawar because of indiscriminate pollution by the bottling plant as well as illegal occupation of land. The India Resource Center had led a fact finding team to the plant in June 2007 and found shocking incidences of pollution that were in complete violation of environmental laws and regulations in India. While the community knew that the plant had been un-operational since the fact finding visit, this is the first official confirmation of the closure. The bottling plant in Sinhachawar was a Coca-Cola franchisee owned unit operated by the Brindavan Bottlers Limited, which is owned by India 's largest bottler of Coca-Cola, the Ladhani Group of Companies. In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board dated October 27, 2007, Brindavan Bottlers informed the Board about the closure of the plant due to "huge" and "unbearable" financial losses. The letter was dated three days after a major protest at the plant. "We welcome the official closure of the bottling plant which we had demanded. We will now hold Coca-Cola accountable for the damages they have caused in the area because of their negligence," said Mrs. Chinta Dewi, sarpanch (head of the village council) and member of the locally based Coca-Cola Bhagao, Krishi Bachao
Links: In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board dated October 27, 2007, Brindavan Bottlers informed the Board about the closure of the plant due to "huge" and "unbearable" financial losses.