Factory reopened: villagers hoist black flags, shops down shutters

Demand shutting down of Tamil Nadu Chemical Products’ plant at Koviloor

For Daily:08/05/15:Ramanathapuram: Black flags hoisted in Koviloor near Karaikudi in Sivaganga district.Photo:handout_e_mail [with report]

Two days after staging a demonstration, protesting against the reopening of Tamil Nadu Chemical Products (TCP) Limited at Koviloor, which remained closed since February 12 after a gas leak, the villagers hoisted black flags on top of their houses and shops downed the shutters on Friday.

Alleging that the plant, which had been functioning for more than three decades had caused extensive pollution in the area and serious health hazards, the villagers staged the protest, demanding that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the District administration permanently shut the plant.

Panchayat president Azhagappan said the ‘Periya Kanmoi’ and ‘Koneri Kanmoi,’ the two main waterbodies in the village catering to agriculture, were polluted after effluents from the plant were let into them, and forced the villagers to abandon agriculture in about 800 acres. “The entire village joined the protest and black flags were hoisted in all the 1,300 households,’ he said.

The plant was producing sodium hydrosulphite (SHS) and leakage of sulphur dioxide on February 12 caused problems to the local people. Faulting the company for the leakage, TNPCB officials inspected the factory and ordered its closure holding that the gas leak had occurred due to poor management of the plant.

Later, the officials granted permission to reopen the plant for trial run till the end of June on the condition that the plant should not let out effluents and pollute the atmosphere, sources in TNPCB said.