Members of Naam Thamizhar Katchi, led by Seeman, staged a demonstration at Moonjikkal junction here on Thursday demanding removal of mercury waste from the Hindustan Unilever thermometer factory and compensation for affected workers.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Seeman alleged that the mercury waste from the factory had contaminated the entire Kodaikanal town.
Besides ecological damage, health of hundreds of factory workers was also affected. Several workers died owing to unknown diseases.
He said that the workers had been fighting for compensation for their health problems for the past 14 years but the company did not provide any.
The State and Central governments too did not take any efforts to get compensation for the affected workers. The company should pay compensation immediately, failing which the party would campaign for boycott of all its consumer products and prevent their sale in Tamil Nadu, he warned.
Later, talking to media persons, he said that residents of Kodaikanal were in the grip of fear as water bodies, land and air had been polluted.
The impact of mercury waste had not been assessed so far and the government should ensure that international standards were followed while removing the waste from Kodaikanal.
