Coke accused of putting thousands out of work

The largest Coca-Cola plant in India is being accused of putting thousands of farmers out of work by draining the water that feeds their wells, and poisoning the land with waste sludge that the company claims is fertiliser.

The plant in the southern state of Kerala is designed to satisfy the demand for Coke in what has become the multinational company’s fastest-growing market. But its huge demand for water is causing such damage to the local economy that the village council which had granted the company a licence to operate is now demanding the plant’s closure.

So desperate have the nearest villagers become for water that Coca-Cola sends water tankers round every morning to supply minimum needs.

The company denies the shortages have anything to do with its use of up to one million litres of water a day from the underground aquifer that used to keep the wells topped up.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=18340

The next GOP/Bush Crime Family war will be for water!

A DUer posted this Coke link awhile back, the last time Coke was killing people someplace. I've forgotten where.
http://www2.coca-cola.com/brands/brandlist.html

http://darkerxdarker.tripod.com/

OOPs, I think this is the same story? Sorry.

They are nothing but parasites!!!

The company denies the shortages have anything to do with its use of up to one million litres of water a day from the underground aquifer that used to keep the wells topped up.

Everyone who believes that water shortages and the extraction of 1,000,000 liters of water a day have nothing to do with each other, raise your hand.

Yeah, I didn't buy that either. What a load of GREEDY LYING FRAUDULENT BASTARDS.

...the stuff, raise your hand. Uh-huh. And replying "I drink Pepsi" doesn't count. The Coca-Cola company might be a bunch of greedy, lying rat bastards, but that's apparently a strategy that works for them in the marketplace. THAT's the real problem, IMO.

Here are some of the links to previous versions of this story from LBN last week:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=33601&mesg_id=33601

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=34955&mesg_id=34955

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator