The Hindu 28.07.2010
Proposal for waste disposal facility on SIPCOT premises opposed
Staff Reporter
| ‘It will poison the soil and ground water in the district' |
“Over 28,000 tonnes of industrial waste expected to be handled at the proposed facility”
It will affect the livelihood of thousands of people in Perundurai block
ERODE: The proposal to establish a treatment, storage and disposal facility; for hazardous waste from the industrial units in eight districts at a land on the SIPCOT premises in Perundurai has drawn strong opposition from the general public, voluntary organisations, elected representatives and political parties in the district.
The Tamil Nadu Waste Management Association, which came up with the proposal, has planned to collect, store, treat and dispose hazardous waste from the industries located in eight districts - Erode, Coimbatore, Namakkal, Karur, Salem, Udhagamandalam, Dindigul and Dharmapuri. It was proposed to establish the facility on a 50 acre land inside the SIPCOT premises at a cost of Rs. 25 crore.
The proposal had drawn strong opposition from various quarters including the MLA of Kangayam taluk. “The continuous discharge of untreated effluents in vacant lands and water carrying channels by the textile and leather processing units had already poisoned the soil and ground water in the district.
Farmers are migrating to urban areas in search of better jobs. The establishment of a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility would further damage the environment in Perundurai, Ingur and the neighbouring areas,” people claimed in a petition submitted to the district administration here on Monday.
Kangayam MLA Vidiyal Sekar (Congress) had also opposed the proposal and urged the State Government and authorities concerned to withdraw the move. “Instead, the government should consider the implementation of the marine discharge project with the financial assistance from the Centre,” he added.
Rainwater Harvest Movement Convener EVM Natarajamoorthi said that over 28,000 tonnes of industrial waste were expected to be handled at the proposed facility in SIPCOT complex. “It would cause huge damage to the fragile environment,” he added.
DMDK Erode district in-charge V.C. Chandrasekar said in a statement that the government should not allow the establishment of the facility as it would affect the livelihood of thousands of people in Perundurai block.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had planned to conduct a public hearing on the establishment of the facility at Balamurugan Thirumana Mandapam in Perundurai at 10 a.m. on July 28.
