For the past one year, P. Sudhakaran, a young resident of Anakaputhur, has been trying to shut down an illegal leather goods manufacturing unit that has not only caused acute pollution, nestled as it is in a residential locality, but also a considerable revenue loss to government agencies, who have refused to act on the issue.
Responses to his meticulous queries to different government departments have clearly established that the unit is functioning illegally, violating all laid down norms. It was also found that 10 such units have been functioning in Anakaputhur in addition to the illegal leather manufacturing unit near his house on Mettu Street. According to Mr. Sudhakaran, the unit began functioning from rented premises near his home on Mettu Street in early 2011.
Since then, residents living near the unit have been subject to a lot of stress and inconvenience due to the noise from the machines.
Frustrated by this, Mr. Sudhakaran posed queries under the RTI Act to Anakaputhur Municipality, Revenue Department of the Kancheepuram District Administration, Kancheepuram District Environment Engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and even the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, all of whom denied issuing any license to the unit.
“It is clear that the unit is operating illegally. Then why are all these government departments hesitating to shut it down,” wonders Mr. Sudhakaran. However, ever since his queries blew the lid off the operation, his family has endured intimidation and harassment. There have been instances of miscreants flinging stones at his home and threatening women relatives at their doorsteps.
Family unfazed
His family members, though, are unfazed. “We will fight till the end,” his family members say even as they show a huge stack of documents – replies from the different government departments that indicate the unit is illegal .
A former elected representative from the municipality, on conditions of anonymity, said there more than 10 such units.
Finished leather products from the tannery hub of Nagalkeni were procured and goods like belts and bags made in these units in Anakaputhur.
The elected municipal councils have not shut them down as they provided jobs to the poor, especially women and differently abled.
Previous violations
Residents, who have earlier submitted petitions to the government agencies, recalled that the unit on Mettu Street had paid a penalty of Rs. 8 lakh to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation for power theft. A former engineer of the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply, said government rules permitted small-scale units to operate in areas classified as Mixed Residential Zone, with restrictions, provided such units obtained licenses and renewed them every year after paying the specified fee.
If they had violated these rules, government agencies should not hesitate in shutting them down as such unites were not only illegal but also caused severe losses to them and local bodies.
