Erode: Dyeing units are known sources of pollution. Now, those producing charcoal in Tirupur district seem to have affected the lives of hundreds of farmers in the western belt of Tamil Nadu. Aggrieved farmers have been fighting against the charcoal manufacturing companies before the southern bench of the national green tribunal (NGT) for the last one year. They have prayed to the green court to close down these units in Kangeyam taluk as their chimneys emit smoke round the clock and scores of locals suffer from respiratory disorders because of air pollution. Meanwhile, NGT has asked for an expert committee to obtain the levels of pollution in the villages of Kangeyam.
Explaining the process of charcoal production in these units, environmentalist S. Nallasamy said coconut shells were burnt at high temperature to produce activated carbon in these units. “Coconut shells are deposited in a deep pit and burnt at high temperatures. To douse the flames, water is poured and the pit kept closed for some time. The activated carbon obtained from the process is exported for a huge sum. But the smoke and dust particles from these units spread in the air and contaminate the environment,” he said.
He said several villagers, especially children, suffered from respiratory illnesses. “When charcoal units burn shells without a break to meet their targets, these people experience eye irritation,” he said. Gathering the residents under the banner of Ozone Care Public Welfare Association, Satheesh Kumar, a young graduate from Kangeyam, is at the forefront of this legal battle. He said the next hearing at NGT would come up on September 20.
Speaking to DC, Satheesh Kumar said, “The dust from these units pollutes water bodies also. We cannot drink the water from the ponds; even cattle cannot consume this water. Residents here are forced to buy water from private firms. It’s high time these units fixed good quality chimneys to filter the dust particles.” Another resident, A. Karthikeyan, said these units pumped out large quantities of water for use and emptied the effluents in the land close to the factories.
“The groundwater has been polluted and depleted by these firms. We hope that the NGT will order the closure of these units to save our villages.” Tirupur district (north) Pollution Control Board (PCB) engineer M. Malayandi said an expert committee had conducted a study on the pollution levels in the villages of Kangeyam and the final report would be submitted to the NGT shortly. “Based on a direction from the NGT, an expert committee was sent to the villages to collect air and water samples. The test report is in the final stages of completion,” he said. He added that the PCB had already stopped granting permission for new units and no existing ones had been given renewal for their operations.
