UNIT 4 - A TALE OF THREE VILLAGES

PAGE  151

Question D.4:

Now that you have each read one of the stories above, first complete the appropriate column of the table below. When you have done that, ask the other two students in your group about the stories you have not read. For example, ask "In which country did your story take place? What type of pollution is there?" When it is your turn to give information, only do so when the other two students ask you questions. As you receive the answer, complete the other two columns.    
D.1   
D.2   
D.3


Country   
_______   
_______   
_______

Cause (s)of pollution   
_______   
_______   
_______

Who is responsible?   
_______   
_______   
_______

Consequences   
_______   
_______   
_______

What do you think   
_______   

_______   
_______

Answer :
A sample of the table completed on the basis of the stories is given below. You may express your opinion wherever asked for.    
D.1   
D.2   
D.3

Country   
Nigeria, Africa (Koko village)   
India, Asia (Ponnimanthuri village)   
Ukraine, Asia (Vorobyov Village)

Cause (s)of pollution   
Drums containing poisonous chemicals being disposed in the local villages like Koko. This poison leaks into the local streams and other water sources contaminating the water and thus, threatening lives of locals.   
The chemicals discharged from the leather factory set up in the village into open environment, fields and water sources, acutely pollute soil/land, air and water. The factory should have been set up in an uninhabited area with waste land.   
The nuclear dust spread due to the nuclear explosion in 1986. The radioactive rays spread and murdered children and adults, leaving the village destitute.

Who is responsible?   
These chemicals drums are brought from Italy. But more than Italy’s government, Nigeria’s government is responsible as they should not let other countries exploit their land in such manner. They alone know what they gain by putting lives of locals at risk.   
The local governing authorities shouldn’t have given license for the set up of such factories in an inhabited village where land is used for agricultural purpose.   
It is possible that a bomb from Chernobyl exploded in the premise of the nuclear reactor, causing the explosion.

Consequences   
These chemicals are highly hazardous and life threatening due to their poisonous nature. And as they are placed near the water source, and the drums are leaking their substance into it. There are rising number of deaths in the village as this water is used by the whole village for drinking and other domestic chores   
Tanning uses as many as 250 different chemicals, including heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic and chromium that, if not properly treated before being discharged, can be acutely hazardous. The agricultural land has turned into a waste land, the water and air are polluted to the most. Now the villagers are facing severe problems like ulcers and sores.   
The radioactive rays from the dust due to nuclear explosion caused lot of deaths.

What do you think   
We all talk of national integration and patriotism to be inculcated in citizens of a nation. But it is more important these days for politicians to be put to schools and teach them these fundamentals so they are faithful to their mother land and to their people who have chosen them their representatives so that the country progresses and the people are provided with a better system and society to live. Although colonialism by European countries has ended but this trend of neo-colonialism has emerged.   
It is not the poor who are actually responsible for the various blames they receive every now and then; the poor standards of hygiene, the corruption, pollution, low standards of agricultural, poor production of crops. The farmers are not to be blamed. They should be given good subsidies and the agricultural lands must not be allotted for chemical industries.   
Wars have never done good to anyone. Besides nuclear energy, though generates huge power, is not suggested by many experts for power generation. When so many other sources are available, then why go for a source that involves such grave risks? Recent happenings in Japan have taught us the same lesson. Never breach the laws of nature or she knows well how to have her revenge.



Question D.5(1):

Why do you think there are "three large, empty metal drums" outside Mr.Nana's front door?
Answer :

There are "three large, empty metal drums" outside Mr. Nana's front door because they were unloaded by a few people who brought those from Italy. These contained poisonous chemicals which were brought over there to the Chief by a few people, in exchange for a brown-bag.



Question D.5(2):

Why do you think the drums were sent from Italy to Nigeria?


Answer :
The drums were sent from Italy to Nigeria because people of that village were supposedly illiterate and didn’t have any knowledge about the contents of the drum.


 Question D.5(3):

What do you think was in the brown paper bag that the Chief received?


Answer :
The brown paper bag which the Chief received must have contained cash in exchange for allowing them to keep the containers in his village.


 Question D.5(4):

Why are the drums referred to as "the mountain of death"?
 

Answer :
The drums are referred to as "the mountain of death" because leakage from its contents have poisoned the people living in that village. It was because of these drums that 13 people died in five years in that village, making children sick everyday.


Question D.5(5):

Vijayasama and the narrator both refer many times to "they." Who do you think "they" are?
 

Answer :
Vijayasama and the narrator both refer many times to “they”. “they” are the monster-like leather factories which made handbags, shoes and clothes.


 Question D.5(6):

Why do you think the women of the village have to walk 10 km every day?

 

Answer :
The women of the village have to walk 10 kilometers everyday in order to bring water because the industries disposed their chemicals into the river flowing through the village.


 Question D.5(7):

Why does Vijayasama say: "We don't buy leather shoes or leather handbags or leather clothes?"
 

Answer :
Vijayasama says: "We don't buy leather shoes or leather handbags or leather clothes?" because their families, lives and health have been destroyed because of the factories.


 Question D.5(8):

Why do you think Natasha's three children died?
 

Answer :
Natasha's three children died because they were exposed to the nuclear dust emitted by the explosion from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.


Question D.5(9):
Where do you think Natasha lives now?
 

Answer :
Now, Natasha lives in Moscow.


 Question D.5(10):

What do you think is going to happen to Nataasha very soon? Why?

 

Answer :
According to the text, Natasha would die soon. This is so because then she is the part of the population who were forced to evacuate. She was exposed to the nuclear dust emitted by the explosion from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.


PAGE  152

 Question D.6:

Still working in groups of three, find any ten "happy" words and ten "unhappy" words from the passages you have just read. First, copy and complete the table below:    
“happy” words   
“unhappy” words

Koko village, Nigeria

Ponnimanthuri

Village, India

Vorobyov

Village, Ukraine   
Picturesque

Colourful   
skull and crossbones symbol, corroded, slimy

Answer :


    “happy” words   
“unhappy” words

Koko village, Nigeria

Ponnimanthuri

Village, India

Vorobyov

Village, Ukraine   
Picturesque

Colourful

Playful children

Rich

Laughing   
skull and crossbones

symbol

corroded

slimy

poison

anger

monster-like

ominous-looking

mountain of death

vomit