Mahad, a place that was once paradise for hundreds of villagers, has slowly turned into a living hell for them. Scores of residents are afflicted with cancer, asthma, paralysis and skin infections, thanks to a leaking pipeline full of chemical effluents. Locals are unable to farm their land, fish in their native rivers or even drink the water there, without an automatic death sentence.

A special report in this paper highlighted how over 100 villagers staged a road blockade to protest yet another chemical leak last week, forcing the authorities to finally sit up and take notice of their plight.