A total of 14 tannery units and 426 textile processing units that were found discharging huge amount of untreated effluents in water sources in Erode block had been shut down during the last three years by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
Out of the 426 textile processing units, 185 were dyeing factories, 153, bleaching units and 88 were printing units. The total included six units that were shut down on May 19.
Surprise checks
The officials from the board conducted surprise checks on a number of occasions and found these units letting out untreated, toxic effluents in Kalingarayan channel and other water sources in the block.
“A significant number of these units were found having effluent treatment plants. But they did not utilise these units and continued to dump the effluents in water sources, causing huge damage to the environment,” officials from the board said.
Following the raids, the block has 30 tannery units and 81 dyeing units, which are approved by the government. “These units are being closely monitored. If any violations are found, steps will be initiated to shut down the units immediately,” District Environmental Engineer M. Malaiyandi assured.
Mr. Malaiyandi further said that the board was going to shut down six more units in Erode block on May 21 as they were polluting the environment.
Farmers' appeal
Meanwhile, the farming community in the district had appealed to the administration to conduct checks across the district to identify the textile processing units that were functioning illegally. The administration had demolished more than 71 units during a drive launched against the illegal dyeing units a few weeks ago. Later the drive was abandoned.
“A number of dyeing units were still functioning in the district without an approval from the authorities and polluting the Cauvery and Bhavani rivers. A majority of these units were functioning in Gobichettipalayam and Sathyamangalam blocks, where the administration did not pay much attention during the drive,” many farmers claimed
