Will Set Up Claims Tribunal to Process Claims from Affected Parties

New York (July 2, 2010):  In a major step towards holding Coca-Cola accountable for damages it has caused in India, the state government of Kerala decided on Wednesday to move forward with the formation of a tribunal that will hear and award compensation claims against the Coca-Cola company.

The Kerala state cabinet’s decision is based on the report and recommendations of a High Power Committee which released a report on March 22, 2010 holding Coca-Cola responsible for causing pollution and water depletion in Plachimada in the state of Kerala in south India.

Using the “polluter pays principle”, the High Power Committee had recommended that Coca-Cola be held liable for Indian Rupees 216 crore (US$ 48 million) for damages caused as a result of the company’s bottling operations in Plachimada. more »

Police Arrest Three Coca-Cola India Officials

San Francisco (June 27, 2010):  Three workers were killed and at least five others seriously injured at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Khurda in the state of Orissa in India on Friday.

The workers were engaged in the maintenance of a boiler in the factory which exploded.

Company officials in charge of the boiler operations were out to lunch when the explosion occurred, according to reports from local media and groups in the area. more »

If Junk Food is Bad for Americans, Are They Good for Indians and Chinese?

by Amit Srivastava
India Resource Center

June 4, 2010: Last month, in a bid to preempt any binding government action, sixteen food and beverage companies announced a pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories from their products in the US by the end of 2015 – ostensibly to fight obesity in the US.

Indeed, the growing obesity epidemic in the US has caught the attention of the White House, and Mrs. Michelle Obama in particular. more »

“Company Management Being Seriously Derelict in its Duties”

Atlanta (April 21, 2010): It is only a matter of time before the Coca-Cola company will be held financially and criminally liable for their operations in water-stressed areas in India, Coca-Cola shareholders were told today at the company’s shareholder meeting in Atlanta.

“The company management is being seriously derelict in its duties by not acknowledging the real extent of the liabilities Coca-Cola has incurred and continues to incur in India,” said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center, an international campaigning organization, at the shareholders meeting. more »

New Delhi (March 22, 2010): In a major development, a High Power Committee established by the state government of Kerala in India has recommended today that Coca-Cola be held liable for Indian Rupees 216 crore (US$ 48 million) for damages caused as a result of the company’s bottling operations in Plachimada.

The Coca-Cola bottling plant in Plachimada has remained shut down since March 2004 as a result of the community-led campaign in Plachimada challenging Coca-Cola’s abuse of water resources. more »

Continues Bottling in Drought Area, Farmers and Villagers Left Without Water

Kala Dera, India (March 11, 2010): The Coca-Cola company has continued to operate its bottling plant in Kala Dera in Jaipur, India even as the area has been declared a drought area last summer and the groundwater levels are falling sharply – leaving the largely agrarian community with severely restricted access to water.

Data obtained this week by the India Resource Center from the Central Groundwater Board, a government agency, confirm that groundwater levels in Kala Dera fell precipitously again – a drop of 4.29 meters (14 feet) in just one year between August 2008 and August 2009, from 30.83 meters below ground level to 35.12 meters respectively. more »

Contract Not Renewed, Ethical Concerns Raised in Decision 

December 14, 2009:  In another major victory for the international campaign against Coca-Cola, colleges and universities in Norway have decided not to renew the exclusive contract with Coca-Cola.

Students across Norway have been campaigning to significantly restrict Coca-Cola’s contract on campuses because of the company’s mismanagement of water resources in India. more »

Varanasi, India (November 30, 2009) – Armed with banners demanding “Climate Justice Now!” and “Shut Down Coca-Cola”, over 2,000 villagers marched to the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj in India today demanding its closure.

Villagers have accused the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj of worsening the water conditions in the area by over-extraction of groundwater as well as pollution.

The community was also angered by Coca-Cola’s decision to continue production and extraction of groundwater as the area faced severe drought this year and thousands of farmers experienced failed crops and water sources dried up. more »

Varanasi, India (November 3, 2009):  The community of Mehdiganj in Varanasi, India will be rallying for climate justice and demanding the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant on November 30, 2009.

The protests will highlight the disproportionate impacts of climate change being experienced by rural, agricultural and low-income communities, and challenge the Coca-Cola company’s continued operations in the area that are worsening the climate impacts.

Groundwater levels have fallen drastically in and around Mehdiganj since Coca-Cola began operations in the area in 1999 – impeding access to water for the rural and agricultural communities. more »