More than 1500 people rallied on August 9 against a proposed Coca-Cola bottling plant in Gangaikondan village in the Tirunelveli district in southern India. Local communities have united against the plant, arguing that it will further exacerbate water scarcity in the region. Coca-Cola's operations in other parts of India have caused severe water shortages and contaminated groundwater and soil. In Plachimada, one of Coca-Cola's largest bottling facilities in India has been closed for 17 months after the village council refused to renew its licence, citing water shortages and pollution.
From Green Left Weekly, August 17, 2005.
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