The Coca-Cola Company is one of the largest enterprises in the entire world, with plants all over the globe to create the most famous soft drink out there, but Coke inversion in one country or another doesn't necessarily mean public approval - and Coca-Cola India is facing some real trouble right now.
In the latest Coca-Cola India news, citizens and councils from different villages in the country are now demanding the company to either stop draining water from the underground or quit their operations altogether, blaming the soft drinks giant for water scarcities in a total of 18 villages.
According to Indian Express, the Coca-Cola India trouble stems from the Mehdiganj area of the Varanasi district (in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh), as villagers complain that the American company has been causing water shortages in the region for the past 16 years, saying that the trouble began in 1999, when the plant in the region first began operating.
"Coca-Cola paints a pretty picture of itself internationally as a responsible user of water, but the reality in India is that it exploits groundwater at the expense of the poor, the women, children, farmers and livestock who have to live with less water because Coca-Cola mines groundwater in a water scarce area for profit," said Amit Srivastava from the India Resource Center, speaking of this Coca-Cola India water problems.
As NDTV reports, the Mehdighanj area is a mostly agrarian community, which means that villagers rely on groundwater for their personal as well as economic needs, meaning that the Coca-Cola India drought has negatively impacted the lives of millions for a very long time, as the company uses the same groundwater for its production, prompting unfair advantage in front of smaller businesses and households in the area.
According to The South China Morning Post, besides 18 villages' city councils protesting against Coca-Cola's India practices, they've also pointed out that the block where the Coke plant is located was declared "over exploited" in 2011, a full 4 years back.
