Foreign survey raises controversy in Thiruvananthapuram

A British survey which raised controversy was withdrawn in Thiruvananthapuram on saturday. The bathing soap related survey has been conducted for Britain based organisations in the coastal areas of the capital city.

The survey was said to be on health and sanitation. The surveyers distributed bathing soaps embedded with electronic chips in the houses in the Bheemapally and Cheriyathura areas. The survey has been conducted without informing the police. The survey was headed by a foreigner named Peter Hall.

The electronic chips were found on bathing mugs as well. The residents were instructed to use both in bathrooms. The surveyors explained to them that a chip was kept inside the soap, and made them sign on the declarations that they were aware of the chip. The survey was said to analyse the health of children between 6 and 11. As a part of the survey, soap and mug should be used for 5 days. Apart from this, a woman of the survey team would come to the house and observe the works in morning or evenings. She also has a camera and this would capture all the pictures inside the house. After the 5 days, the soap and mug would be returned. The residents would be given another soap, this time without the chip. The residents were asked to inform them if they had any allergetic problems due to the soap usage. After signing declarations, each family was given a sum of Rs. 400.

But the presence of the chip in soap raised doubts in the residents. They issue went on to be spread out and controversial. The people later reported in the police station. The police called the people who were doing the survey. The surveyors informed about the declarations. But since the residents expressed anxiety, the survey was called off.

The survey was conducted for the UK Agencies Intertech CRS Ltd, SEUF, Unilever Research Medicine and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The survey was organised by Socio Economic Unit Foundation of Ilankam Gardens in Thiruvananthapuram.