30 replies to this topic

[Tarbela]

 

Surging demand: Coca-Cola to start 3 new plants in Pakistan

 

Coca-Cola Co expects to start production in at least three new factories in Pakistan and two in Egypt over the next 18 months, seeing double-digit percentage growth in sales for both markets this year, its Middle East and North Africa president told Reuters.

Surpassing Egypt for its sales growth, Pakistan will see three new plants open in the next 18 months in Karachi, Multan and Islamabad to serve the domestic market with sparkling drinks such as Coke, Fanta and Sprite.

“We watch the needle in Pakistan and almost every month we red-line on what our capacity is,” Ferguson said, adding he expected sales growth of around 20 per cent in Pakistan this year. “We’re just scratching the surface there.”

 

 

http://tribune.com.p...ts-in-pakistan/

[Metanoia]

In India the Coca Cola factory destroyed entire villages in it's vicinity by sucking all their underground water with full protection of the Indian government. Literally the villages and the villagers perished due to drought while the factory was churning out Coca Cola for the human beings.

 

I saw it all in a documentary and apparently soft-drink factories require a lot of water. A lot. I do hope we have that water.

[Krad]

Coke basically depletes freshwater sources and adds sugar and increases Diabetes and poor health.

 

There is no net value coke or pepsi and their likes provide to a country or society....in fact it takes away in the long run. They also take 99% of their profits out of the country since they are MNCs.

 

I am of the firm belief that these kinds of soft drinks should be forced to carry the same kind of health warnings that cigarettes carry.

[clutch]

Cocacola has been a parasite on fresh water resources esp in developing countries...

[Metanoia]

This is fundamentally not a good news for us.

[Krad]

Pakistan should be attracting actual value-added investment, not disguised exploitative/destructive investment (which coke falls under).

 

Water is a severe issue in Pakistan, there has to be a big trade off study done on what kinds of industry simply use too much water compared to their value of output (i.e a suitable accounting of externalities).

 

Otherwise it will simply be a big negative for Pakistan in the long run.

[Metanoia]

Apart from that what I have come to know is that a factory also requires a lot of water when it washes them glass bottles/

 

 

Coke basically depletes freshwater sources and adds sugar and increases Diabetes and poor health.

 

There is no net value coke or pepsi and their likes provide to a country or society....in fact it takes away in the long run. They also take 99% of their profits out of the country since they are MNCs.

 

I am of the firm belief that these kinds of soft drinks should be forced to carry the same kind of health warnings that cigarettes carry.

[Krad]

Yah, or a lot of plastic (and hence hydrocarbons - which could be used for fuel) are used for plastic bottling (which create a huge eyesore and pollution if you don't have proper recycling logistics).

[Metanoia]

The scourge of corporations now cometh to Pakistan.

[Krad]

Its already arrived a long time ago I would imagine. 

 

Few industries ever take into account any kind of externalities....and people (and politicians) only care about the direct short term money gain...

 

All one has to do is go to China to get an idea of this gone wild, they have achieved tremendous economic progress....when you don't count the externalities (in fact the total ignorance of these externalities are what play a large role in keeping the costs cheap - China's USP for many industries).

 

I will never forget the sight of a small chinese town when I decided to explore on my own when I was there, the one you dont see on the brochure, the ponds of water full of green and black tarry sludge...the walls of all the buildings were covered with ash and soot and the main industry was processing the huge amounts of industrial waste made by just 3 massive factories nearby...with bare hands and manual scavenging...and the rest was just leaching into the soil. The smell was something else, how those poor souls could live there....I cannot imagine.

 

The Chinese hope to clean up their act in the next few decades, I hope for all our sakes it hasnt come too late.

[Metanoia]

Only yesterday I saw a documentary on Prawns and Shrimps sold in Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco, Morris and other hypermarket chains. Almost 95% of the shrimps/prawns and their feed is bought from this Thai company called CP.......and CP uses 99.99% slave labour to achieve this. 

 

Man it was so damn shocking, the slave labour is mainly from neighbouring Burma and an average slave spends around 2-3 years on the trawler at the sea. Those who rebel are tortured for hours and hours and then finally killed in some of the most brutal and sadistic of manners to set an example for the rest of them. This is done in front of the other slaves deliberately.

 

It is literally a slavery man.....no wonder the the prawns and shrimps in these hypermarkets are so inexpensive.

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

Coca cola does not pay taxes in european cpuntries, then why should it pay taxes in Pakistan?

Apart from diabetes and poor health, others can be mentioned: the acid in cola undermines/breaks the structure of the bones, causes obesity due to unburned sugar levels in the cell membranes in the humanbody thus hinders the natural respirations proces.

And for men it leads to bad sperm quality which hinders to conceive a succesful pregnancy.

Not only that, but the unnatural oxides, which causes us to burp (baarey baarey dakaar) after intaking the drink, effects our bodies own natural oxide depended cells badly.

This is what i was taught in biology by my former biology teacher, and in social sciences/political sciences my other teacher told the class back then, that there is a thumbsrule for the price in Africa.
Coca cola is cheaper than natural water, and for Africans that is a both bad health policy and environmental as well, as water is and should be the first priority for human heslth and right, but the reality is a lot of Africans are dying.

Then imagine how it will become Pakistan... It can already be seen in the markets, a minersl water costs around 20-25rs, a glas bottled coca cola costs between 10-18 rs....

I am just saying the prices which costed both in 2008 and 2013, maybe the price has gone up in 2014. Dont know for sure.

Socio-political issue is that Pakistan has water issues with India, which means less wayerflow in Indus River, Jhelum River-Neelum River, Chenaab Tiver, all the way to Sindh and Baluchistan...

When average people arent getting water, which is a basic right according to Hadith and saying of Prophet Muhammad SAWS, then why the hell is coca cola focusing on opening another new factory in Pakistan which is a failed strategic business venture.

Coca cola does not recycle water when cleansing the glass bottles in non european countries, as the rules and regulations in Europe are highly respected or else there is a massive fine smacked on the company. In other countries, coca cola has free hands to do what it pleases.

Just like mcdonalds in Pakistan, where in Islamabad there were found caterpillar-insects in the food, lets not forget everything is exported from mcdonalds (even kfc in Pakistan) in usa to Pakistani branches.
But still mcdonalds can have no problems in Pakistan because the Pakistani media, juridiciary system, political system and health department of Pakistan can be bought, and will look passive on the issue because everyone in the institutions are already customers in mcdonalds, and most likely dont have money like mcdonalds has.

But in the west, the media, juridiciary system, health institutions, political systems will scream, shout and jump up because they care for their people, they think on long term policies for avoiding people getting a disease thus becoming a financial burden on the taxpayers money which goes to hospitals.
Instead, fining a company and ruining its reputation is much far off better than having the country's own people getting ill and burden on the state.

Compare with the Pakistani state, where governments think of themselves, their own children, their pithhus, loyal pedigree slavedogs and their own palaces. Total lack of humanity and thinking of their own pockets. The burdened Pakistanis become only a burden for themselves and not the governments who can put more money in their rather than upholding a standard of a welfare society!


Peace

[Metanoia]

Coca-Cola forced to close India bottling factory over excessive water use, pollution

 

 

Years of protests have forced Indian officials to finally close a Coca-Cola bottling factory in the northern province of Uttar Pradesh for extracting groundwater above legal limits and polluting the environment with toxic effluents.

 

Coca-Cola’s Mehdiganj plant in Varanasi used to pump too much fresh water from the underground water table, a practice that has led to groundwater levels in the area dropping to critical levels. This infuriated local residents mostly employed in agriculture, who are suffering from scarce water resources.

 

The plant has also been accused of discharging effluents, containing excessive levels of pollutants, thus damaging the environment.

 

The battle to close the factory has been marked with a number of dramatic protests staged by local farmers. One protest, in 2006, lasted for over three months and culminated with a hunger strike among the local population and activists demanding the plant cease operation.

 

Finally, the bottling plant has been ordered to stop operation.

 

“The plant is closed following our orders,” Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board member secretary J.S. Yadav told AFP, specifying that Coca-Cola was ordered to replenish twice as much groundwater as it extracted and provide a permit from a government agency that regulates groundwater use, Yadav said.

 

Local campaigner Nandlal Master told the India Resource Center: “This is a great victory and a welcome confirmation that local communities can successfully take on big, powerful business.”

 

The world's largest soft drinks maker appealed the closure order to India's environment court, the National Green Tribunal, the Pollution Control Board said.

 

Last year, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola announced that the 15-year-old Varanasi bottling facility had been expanded and could produce 600 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of soft drinks per minute. With an estimated 26,500 kiloliters of beverage production per year, this used to be one of the smallest Coca-Cola factories in India.

 

Coca-Cola has 58 bottling factories in India, where consumption of soft drinks is swiftly growing with the expansion of the middle class. Many factories have been targeted by protests for the same reason: an excessive use of local water resources.

 

In early 2014, the authorities of the Uttar Pradesh province promised to demolish the Coca-Cola factory, claiming that the plant had been built on the land belonging to the local village council and therefore the construction was “illegal.”

 

Indian authorities have also imposed a nominal 126,000 rupee ($2,000) fine on the soft drink company over the land issue.

 

India’s Hindustan Coca-Cola Company Private Limited, which plans to invest $5 billion in India over the period 2012-20, has called the ruling “unprecedented” and denied allegations of destructive water usage as “misleading and false.”

“As part of the withdrawal of consent, we were not allowed or even asked to present any facts or explain our position,” the company said in a statement. “We recognize that water is critical to our business as integral to community needs and therefore we have a shared interest in the sustainability of water resources.”

 

Coca-Cola has encountered a similar problem in India before, at another bottling plant in Kerala, which was closed for a decade over the same accusation of depleting the local water table and dumping toxic effluent.

 

Though in the end a local court did rule in favor of the company, the facility has never been reopened.

 

http://rt.com/news/1...y-closed-india/

[Krad]

In a water surplus country with strong environmental legislation and clear transparent monitoring agencies like say Canada, this does not present much of an issue.

 

But Pakistan has none of these....in fact Pakistan imho needs to conduct a large overview of all its agricultural products/industries and determine which ones it is receiving very little foreign exchange for (when water consumption of that product is clearly taken into account) and switch to not exporting these and switching to more bang for your buck water products (minimal water use, maximum revenue in foreign market).

 

Pakistan has to get out of the business of exporting large amounts of water (given its own water scarcity).

 

Even a developed country like Australia ran into big big problems doing this....the very famous example of it producing and exporting its rice (under the Kangaroo brand - which I remember when I was in Hong Kong in the 90s)....leading to large swathes of land in the Murray-Darling system suffering from salinity (due to over irrigation, water extraction and improper drainage). Now all that land is a wasteland, Australia's water woes are severe in many areas (and it is an expensive commodity that has led to desalination plants becoming economic).

 

Pakistan has to be careful not to follow this path, given how much of its population still relies on agriculture, and the threat of present water problems only being exacerbated if even worse industries like soft drinks are allowed to gain hold of this.

 

Some media agency or organisation has to make the long term problems known to the Pakistani public - so that politicians can be pressured.....but alas I fear as always this will not be done.

 

Water has to start being treated in the same mindset as oil and natural gas. Proper rainwater harvesting must be investigated, invested into and maintained...to tap into surface run off and permeation. Aquifers and groundwater have to be managed and not over-exploited (and require geological studies of their size and replenishment rates). There has to be a framing of a transparent water agency that is regularly audited and can bring forward the appropriate legislation to be passed in parliament in accordance with the studies it conducts. In fact there should probably be a complete seperate water ministry if there already isnt one...given the importance of the problem and its future ramifications.

 

Don't let the problem become worse. It is still manageable today if action is taken...but the window is shrinking before it is too late and Pakistan will only face even more internal and external strife and conflict....all because someone wanted to make a quick buck off the most mismanaged resource in the world today (Water).

[blueazure]

^^ agree with all of the above , however,id like to add india's water theft of our rivers as well .

 

getting to the topic, i never liked soft drinks, they have no nutritional value at all and rely exclusively on the banned Aspartame as the sweetener, aspartame is a known carcinogen .

 

even if i do go for a soft drink , like these very hot days, i go for murree brewery's  lemon and apple malts, atleast my money is going to a local producer, not some greedy MNC/ 

[Krad]

Indeed, the water hogging by India is of real concern....but while you are working on resolving that (by whatever measures)...it doesnt hurt to start domestic measures so that you will be in a somewhat ok condition even if the foreign measures are not fruitful....and if an equitable water sharing can be worked out with India...having a strong conscientious domestic water program will only benefit Pakistan even more.

 

Diet Pop indeed uses aspartame and other artificial sweetners.....regular pop uses regular fructose and sucrose (from corn syrup or regular sugar). Either one is not good for you. In fact many studies show that diet sodas can actually cause more diabetes (because of human insulin response cycles to the fake sugar)....even without bringing in the discussion of carcinogens etc.

 

Local soda producers are fine to a degree like you said, at least you are keeping the money inside the country....and they probably have more concerns about the local environment (since they also live there) compared to an MNC which can produce,pollute and profit and then run away at any moment once the severe damage has been done and people wise up to their tactics (albeit too late). 

[PS:Annonymous]

When I visited Pakistan last year. Everywhere I went, People would present the Coke or Pepsi. I didnt meant to be mean but I got so fed up that i started to flat out refused to drink such stuff. One time, my close friend brought the Coke to give me when I was visiting his house. I told him flat out, bring me the cyanide instead of this slow poison.

It is dangerous trend in Pakistan and the numbers of diabetic and high blood pressure cases are rising rapidly. People have no awareness about the ill effects of Soda drinking.

If anyone of you want test how bad aspartame is? try putting some of it near anti colony and watch how quickly they run from it.

[Metanoia]

I am surprised that some families in Pakistan even use Coke and Pepsi in their breakfasts 

 

Khogina...paratha aur pepsi ! wtf

[Krad]

ew thats gross,

 

Pakistan (and South Asia in general) have to kick this sugar habit....it is unhealthy and the genes that once helped to mitigate the effects of drought and famine are now hurting the same population when there is overabundance (followed by poor diet choices) and general lethargy.

 

Seriously, coke and pepsi should be banned...or taxed extremely high. Its money in the bank I tell you, though maybe the people will get their sugar fix elsewhere then (local pop and sugary south asian sweets etc).

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

I am surprised that some families in Pakistan even use Coke and Pepsi in their breakfasts 
 
Khogina...paratha aur pepsi ! wtf

Yuck! Thats the same mentality as Elvis Prestley, who ate burgers and drank Pepsi for breakfast, lunch and evening meals...

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

ew thats gross,
 
Pakistan (and South Asia in general) have to kick this sugar habit....it is unhealthy and the genes that once helped to mitigate the effects of drought and famine are now hurting the same population when there is overabundance (followed by poor diet choices) and general lethargy.
 
Seriously, coke and pepsi should be banned...or taxed extremely high. Its money in the bank I tell you, though maybe the people will get their sugar fix elsewhere then (local pop and sugary south asian sweets etc).

Lol... Merey bhai, laal, meri jaan, taxes are only imposed on the average hard working slave Pakistani.
The taxes on soda drinks wpuld create an outrage among industrialists of Pqkistan, as they stick together, have sifarishi contacts with one another etc etc.

But instead if there was more enlightment through the Pakistani media it will be welcomed as people can see themselves the bad side effects.
Not only that, whenever us overseas Pakistanis travel to Pakistan, we can share the information with the locals thus they can pass it on.
And trust me, Pakistanis are good in passing, telling and sharing information without your own knowlegde.

Lol


Peace

[Felicius]

In Lahore, I witnessed something totally alien to me - Doodh Soda (Coke, Pepsi, or Pakola with milk) at Iftaari.

Edited by Felicius, 24 June 2014 - 05:36 PM.

[Simpleton]

yummy! I grew up on coke+milk. Heck it was the one of the few ways I'd actually drink milk growing up.  That straight from the buffalo boiled icky milk that had a hint of cabbage or fodder that the animal had been consuming just wouldn't go down, uggh the memories.  It wasn't until I had decent tasting milk in U.S./Canada that I thoroughly started enjoying milk.  Even now the only milk I find palatable is full cream ice cold glass of milk or coke+milk.

[Felicius]

I used to puke on bhens ka doodh, still can't drink it. I dislike pop/soda as well, was always a Tang, fruit juice, water, or Shezan kid.

[Baaz]

In Lahore, I witnessed something totally alien to me - Doodh Soda (Coke, Pepsi, or Pakola with milk) at Iftaari.

Doodh soda is usually with 7 up. 

[Felicius]

^ Doesn't sound any better, I will still throw up

[Tarbela]

[platinum786]

yummy! I grew up on coke+milk. Heck it was the one of the few ways I'd actually drink milk growing up.  That straight from the buffalo boiled icky milk that had a hint of cabbage or fodder that the animal had been consuming just wouldn't go down, uggh the memories.  It wasn't until I had decent tasting milk in U.S./Canada that I thoroughly started enjoying milk.  Even now the only milk I find palatable is full cream ice cold glass of milk or coke+milk.

You don't like fresh milk???? That's always a highlight of Pakistan for me, milk still warm from the udder

[noxiouspython]

Aoa

 

 

I love milk with Ruh Afzah. Anyone ever drank milk straight from the udder? hehe 

 

Btw is doodh sodha bad for health or something?

 

w/salaam

[Felicius]

^ It's the soda (pop) drinks that are bad for health, milk is healthy to a limit; then it just becomes fattening.

Me, I become nauseous at the smell of milk. I can have mango lassi though

 

Rooh Afza too, is quite unhealthy. Now that Ramzan is here, just see. In the name of cleansing we will consume gallons of Rooh Afza and Pop

Edited by Felicius, 26 June 2014 - 10:04 AM.

[Tarbela]

 

Vendors preparing traditional delicacy Phainian at a stall in Rawalpindi on Thursday.