The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) here has submitted a report to its head office on the packaged drinking water bottling plant set up at Muthanampalayam following a direction from Madras High Court.
The farmers in the locality had been opposing its commissioning of the unit and went to the court as they expressed apprehension that the unit would be drawing underground water, which could affect farming activities in the region, and could also discharge water with high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as reject from the plant.
This forced the promoters of the unit to approach Madras High Court which disposed the case by directing the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to hold a hearing between the unit owners and the farmers and decide on the matter.
Court directive
“Based on the court directive, we recently took the views of both parties and now a report has been sent to our head office with a suggestion to issue requisite order on the matter,” TNPCB District Environmental Engineer R. Kannan told The Hindu .
Disclosing his observations of the plant which was incorporated in the report to Board’s head office, Mr. Kannan said that as long as the plant draws soft water from the water supply scheme operated by New Tirupur Area Development Corporation Limited (NTADCL) in the city and its peripheral areas, there is no problem in giving sanction to the plant.
“The plant owners have already covered a borewell situated on the premises after Board insisted. Moreover, the plant is in an ‘industrial zone’ as per the classification of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning and not in an agricultural land,” he added.
