It has been announced that the state government of Kerala has begun the process of filing criminal charges against the Coca-Cola Company for pollution. That’s right, Coca-Cola, the manufacturer of so many products and soft drinks that contribute to obesity and rotted teeth, is being charged in India for polluting.
A notice was sent to the Coca-Cola Company on Friday, October 12 according to organicconsumers.com, by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board that asked the company to show cause as to why a criminal case should not be brought against the company on charges of polluting the environment. The Coca-Cola Company was given two weeks to respond, and all this occured after their latest debacle with their bottling plant in Plachimada which was shut down in March 2004 by opposition from the community. This opposition stemmed from the fact that this bottling plant created severe water shortages and polluted the water and the soil as a direct result of its operations. What will happen with these criminal charges is yet to be known, but at any rate this debacle should make you think twice next time you go to buy a Coca-Cola product - just how much harm is being done to the environment by the company that you’re supporting?