In a Consultation on Environment, organised by Tamil Nadu Environment Council (TNEC), Environmental Lawyers Forum (ELF) and Environmental Scientists Forum (ESF) here recently, the activists highlighted the issue of the discharge of untreated effluents into the farm lands. L. Antonysamy, State Convener of Tamil Nadu Environment Council (TNEC) in his presidential address said that the Earth was facing a serious crisis today due to global warming because of the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs) resulting in climate change, which was directly hitting the marginalised communities especially the farming community.

He further added that the industries were not responding in a responsible manner to this issue and instead they continued to affect the livelihood resources of the communities through the irresponsible act of releasing the untreated chemical effluents. He pointed out that the trans-national corporations from the developed countries were transferring the technology, which was anti-environmental.

The same companies strictly adhered to the environmental laws in their countries, but did not follow it in other countries, he added.

Dr. Oliver Kim of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation said that India had enough laws to protect the environment and the industries should strictly adhere to the laws of the land. He further emphasised that there should be a political will to adhere to the rules and procedures. Kulandaivel, President of the Vidiyal Farmers Association explained how the industries in Kabilar Malai of Namakkal district had been polluting the land, water and air of the surrounding villages.

Thirupathy of Mangalapuram Consumer Organisation narrated how the industries in Mangalapuram area had severely damaged thousands of families. Farmers from Dindigul district also shared their sad plight of how industries in their villages had affected their livelihood resources.

A. Renganathan, Director of Village Reconstruction and Development Project, Annadurai, State Convener of Tamil Nadu Rivers Protection Network, Karuppannan of Namakkal District Consumer Protection Sangam, P. Perumal, District Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Movement, Murugavel, Advocate, Senthilkumar, Law students and others also spoke.

The Consultation wanted the polluting industries to shut down immediately. The Loss of Ecology Authority, Government’s statutory body should visit the affected areas for assessing the environmental, agricultural, bio-diversity and health loss of the communities living there. It should obtain compensation from the polluting industries for the affected farmers , they demanded.

The Health Department should send a Mobile Health Team to the affected villages and provide immediate health care. Industries that had started construction without getting proper clearances should be immediately evicted from those places, they said. They also wanted those industries that were dumping the untreated effluents through lorries in many places like roadside, canals, rivers, streams, lakes to be closed.