About 620 out of 720 dyeing units near Tirupur resumed operations on Monday, withdrawing their 17-day indefinite strike, following assurance from Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that the Centre would be intimated about their grievances.
About 100 units were closed a couple of days ago by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for failing to comply with the directives of Supreme Court on the effluent discharge issue, causing environmental problems.
The dyers withdrew their stir on Sunday night on the CM’s assurance to release Rs. 120 crore as the State’s 15 per cent share to offset the expenditure of Rs. 800 crore incurred to set up 20 Common Effluent Treatment Plants and also to exert pressure on the Centre to release its 60 per cent share.
Though there was no official version of significant production loss in the knitwear and hosiery sectors in the area, dyers claimed there was an estimated production loss of Rs. 20-30 crore per day.
The Dyers Association of Tirupur had met Karunanidhi and Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran in Chennai about two weeks back, apprised them of their problems and urged them to find a solution.