Monitor SIPCOT industries for illegal effluents discharge in Ranipet

CHENNAI: The Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Ranipet collector and Water Resource Department (WRD) to monitor all the firms within the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) for illegal effluents discharge.

Meanwhile, a chemical industry within the Ranipet SIPCOT has been directed not to discharge effluents into the public drains and to strictly adhere to the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system.

The Bench comprising K Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati also directed the Thirumalai Chemicals Limited in SIPCOT complex to not discharge sewage from their property to public drains, ultimately mixing it in water bodies. Besides this, the industry is also being warned to strictly adhere to environmental laws for maintaining the pollution control mechanisms.

The application to the bench noted that due to pollution caused by the largest industry inside Ranipet SIPCOT, two rivers Palaar and Ponniyaar are subjected to high pollution.

The industry that is currently drawing upto 2.2 lakh litres of groundwater are discharging the untreated effluents into Puliyankannu and Kaarai lakes using the water channels. Due to this, the agriculture activities in the area have been drastically affected, also causing health hazards, observed the bench.

Meanwhile, due to various environmental violations by the industry, the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has previously imposed hefty compensations of Rs 18.60 lakh and Rs 17.40 lakh at two different occasions for the violations by the Thirumalai Chemicals.

Subsequently, the Tribunal taking note of the compensation levied for the violation, directed the SPCB to monitor the functioning of the industry, especially during monsoon.

Additionally, the Tribunal also directed the Ranipet district collector and Water Resource Department (WRD) to monitor if industries inside the SIPCOT, Ranipet are indulged in illegal discharge of untreated/treated effluents or sewage into public drains thus polluting water bodies.