Stating that toxic gas from the industrial units located inside the SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre at Perundurai is affecting the people in the area, villagers of Eluthingalpatti in Ingur Panchayat in Perundurai Block submitted petitions to the Collector here recently.

The petition said that government officials sought their land 23 years ago claiming that garment units and software companies would be established in the centre where a member of their family would be given jobs. However, only industries that cause air and water pollution were established in the centre. They said that textile processing units, tannery units, chemical industries, battery manufacturing units and companies that mainly use coal as raw materials for their boilers were functioning in the centre which release toxic gas into the air apart from polluting the ground water.

Villagers said that over 100 families are residing near the centre and many were affected by skin diseases, cancer apart from cattle also. They claimed that many died due to cancer in the village in the past years.

Villagers said that workers from other states were given jobs in the companies. They were asked to clean the premises and washing the utensils. Despite the issue taken up with the administration many times, it remains unattended. They wanted permanent jobs to be provided for them at these companies and also wanted a common sanitary complex in the village and also installing gadgets that measure the quantum of air pollution in the area.