Engelhard Highland - Coloring US Dollar Bills
Background
Ever wonder where they make the green dyes and pigments for United States currency? Ever heard of Kandandale village in the Dakshin Kannada district of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, India?
In the mid-1990s, Engelhard Highland Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture between the US based M/s Engelhard and the India based M/s Highland Pvt. Ltd. proposed the establishment of a dye and pigment manufacturing unit near Kadandale village in the ecologically sensitive Dakshin Kannada District. A 100% export-oriented unit, the plant would manufacture pigments and dyes to be used to color United States currency. Total produce from the factory would be minimal (a few truck loads per month), and would be shipped across the world to the USA. This raised questions as to whether the project was yet another case of dumping a hazardous industry in the third world, thus externalizing part of the environmental and social costs of producing "greenbacks".
ESG provided solidarity and support to the local communities who grouped as the Shambavi River Protection Committee and together formed a strong coherent voice in questioning the project, demanding basic information and lobbying for legal compliance.
ESG is an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes the cause of environmental and social justice through research, documentation, advocacy, training and campaign support. We aim to support the rights of local communities and voiceless ecosystems in a responsible, progressive manner that keeps contextual complexities in mind.