Seven people were burned alive at a stone crushing plant in the Bandaguda village in Orissa state during a pollution protest last week in India. The plant, which crushes stones for use in cement and concrete, has been criticized for heavy air pollution. The bodies were identified as the plant's three owners, a security guard, and three other employees. Authorities suspect villagers set the fire after locking the seven in a break room. The role of plant owners in India has been fraught with conflict in the last few months, as residents of factory towns demand compensation and harsher pollution penalties to improve air and water quality. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has vowed to introduce an emissions monitoring and trading scheme, and environmental costs are now to be included in the country's GDP. Still, Ramesh has fallen under criticism for continuing to allow controversial and potentially damaging plants to open in various portions of India, and action and rhetoric regarding polluters and those that aid them has become increasingly aggressive. Last month, in response to pressure from anti-mining activists protesting illegal operations, Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat said that "mining officials will have to follow the directives. If they don’t do it, they will be hanged." For the full story, see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1382160/Seven-burnt-death-following-violent-protest-pollution-caused-stone-crushing-plant-India.html?ito=feeds-newsxml.