"A strong novel" A must-read: Shashi Tharoor Vijaya Shiva A disturbing investigative account of how a large firm contributed to the worst mercury poisoning incident in Indian history. When a big pile of broken mercury thermometers was found at a nearby scrapyard in 2001, it garnered global attention for the Hindustan Unilever-owned thermometer facility in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. State officials discovered that the multinational corporation had violated all accepted guidelines for toxic waste disposal measures, causing severe harm to its employees' health and the area's vulnerable ecosystem. This was discovered as the company conducted one hasty internal assessment after another to save face. The local community, supported by environmental watchdog Greenpeace and several public-interest groups, began a long-lasting conflict with the multibillion-dollar multinational as evidence of worker mercury poisoning grew fifteen years, culminating in an undisclosed settlement paid to 600 of its ex-employees. And despite the factory?s closure, scientific reports would reveal mercury levels to be 1,000 times higher than the safe limit, raising serious concerns about HUL?s toxic legacy in the hill station. For years, Ameer Shahul, a former investigative reporter and Greenpeace campaigner, closely tracked the Kodaikanal mercury poisoning case. The result is Heavy Metal, a blistering account of a colossal industrial tragedy precipitated by corporate negligence and acts of omission and commission at the highest levels.