Plea against supply of Tamirabharani water to paper manufacturing unit

TIRUNELVELI: A petition has been submitted to Collector M. Karunakaran to stop supply of water from the Tamirabharani to a paper and board manufacturing unit.

S.P. Muthuraman of Sankar Nagar, who submitted a petition to the Collector on Monday against the supply of Tamirabharani water to Seshasayee Papers and Boards Limited at Ariyanayagipuram, charged that the paper mill was getting several lakh litres of water from the three infiltration wells sunk in the river at Mukkoodal at a throwaway price.

When farmers had been forced to give up farming operations after the North-east monsoon failed last year and several lakh people in the southern district were getting drinking water supply only once in a few weeks, the mill was drawing a huge quantity of water.

“One of the conditions in the agreement the mill signed with the government is that no water would be supplied to the company whenever water level in the river becomes thin. But the unit is still getting water without any problem though the water flow in the Tamirabharani is very low,” Mr. Muthuraman said.

In his petition, I. Usman Khan of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi said Tirunelveli Corporation’s integrated slaughterhouse at Melapalayam was handed over to a private contractor in February 2010. After the expiry of the three-year contract period in 2013, no fresh auctioning was conducted and the rights for operating the slaughterhouse was given to the same contractor in July 2015 for a period of nine years.

However, this order was withdrawn later based on the instruction of the government. “The Corporation established two more slaughterhouses at Palayamkottai and Tirunelveli in 2013. However, these two are yet to be commissioned. Meanwhile, slaughtering of goats is taking place on the roadside, posing a serious threat to public health. Hence, the Collector should instruct the officials concerned to open the two slaughterhouses,” Mr. Khan said.

On behalf of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, M. Palani Sankar of Alangulam submitted a petition seeking the closure of a plastic pulverising unit at Nehruji Nagar in Alangulam. Since the smoke emanating from this unit was causing serious health hazards, the Collector should order its immediate closure, he said.