Govt urged to dispose 1 lakh ton of solid waste from Sipcot

Association for affected people of Perundurai Sipcot industrial estate pollution problem appealed to the government to dispose off over 1 lakh ton solid sludge and mixed waste of textile dyeing units of Sipcot safely. 

In a meeting convened by Housing Minister S Muthusamy at the collectorate on Wednesday evening, the association coordinator S Chinnasamy  said that the wastes were kept in the units for the past many years. They must be sent to cement units as fuel or to the safe land filling place near Gummudipoondi, Chennai.

Of 52 dyeing units in Sipcot, 9 has common effluent treatment plants and rest has individual ETPs. All must follow zero liquor discharge system as per HC order. But some units let untreated effluents outside during rains which mixed in rain water and reached many tanks and finally 240 acre Palathozhuvu lake near Chennimalai. So, ground water was contaminated in and around Perundurai Sipcot and the TWAD itself declared that the ground water in Vaipadi and Varapalayam panchayats was in unpotable condition. So the government should provide protected water to the panchayats. 

The National Geological Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, conducted a study on pollution problem in the Sipcot nearly 5 years back. It dug 7 borewells in the Sipcot to study the ground water condition. Such borewells can be used to tap ground water and provide it to the units in Sipcot instead of providing water by Sipcot under the Tirupur water scheme or allowing them to get water through lorries. It would help clear the contaminated water in the earth in the long run.

The NGRI has sent a preliminary report only. It must be asked to send a full report on its studies to take follow up action. Just like the monthly farmers grievance redressal day meeting, a meeting on pollution problem should be convened by the collector by inviting units, public representative and officials. At present, the TNPCB officials alone conducted such meeting without inviting all stake holders. 

The units use firewood, tyres etc as fuel causing air pollution problem. They must use other kind of fuel to check air pollution problem. Now, the public representatives committee were formed to inspect units' pollution problem. The officials should cooperate to the committee.

Many people in the villages in around Sipcot were affected by cancer. Some years back, medical camp was held in 4 villages. As a permanent solution the pollution problem should be checked fully. In Perundurai government medical college hospital, a doctor served to attend cancer cases. He was also transferred to some other hospital causing much problem to cancer patients in the area. The post must be filled up and a separate cancer diagnosis and treatment center should be created there as the hospital sent cancer patients to Salem or Coimbatore medical colleges regularly. The units causing pollution problem should be warned initially and then they must be closed permanently if they involve in repeated offences. As the ground water was contaminated, the farmers and villagers suffer much in even providing potable water to cattle. So the Athikadavu Avinasi water project should be speedily enforced to recharge ground water, he pleaded.