CUDDALORE: Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. has sought Rs. 1 crore in damages from the SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors and the Cuddalore District Consumer Protection Organisation for carrying out a campaign with the "mala fide intention of causing injury to the reputation and standing of the company."

Objecting to the way these non-governmental organisations (respondents) had chosen to project the company, it has moved the Madras High Court, seeking to restrain them from carrying out a "misinformation and malicious campaign," and direct them to pay Rs. 1 crore as damages.

The company is engaged in the manufacture of commodity chemicals such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), caustic soda, chlorine, chloromethanes, chlorinated solvents, refrigerant gases and silicon wafers in its factories at Mettur and Karaikal. It proposes to set up an additional facility for the manufacture of PVC at Cuddalore.

False propaganda

The company said the respondents indulged in false propaganda through media, a photo exhibition titled "1000 Bhopals" held recently at Lalit Kala Academy, Chennai, and a website hosted by them, to tarnish its image.

Newspaper reports published at the instance of the respondents had portrayed the company's Mettur unit as causing pollution to such a level that it had made life unliveable and devastated groundwater and agriculture.

Allegations refuted

The company refuted these allegations as baseless and untrue, and said it was in operation for over 40 years and had contributed a great deal for the economic development of Mettur. It had set high standards of performance parameters, including safety, health and environment.

Sample test

The company observed that the respondents reportedly collected samples (of air and water) by using the bucket-air-bag method and sent these to the Environment Protection Agency's certified laboratory in California, U.S.

The company averred that the sampling point referred to by the respondents was close to the convergence of several streams of untreated effluents from other industrial, municipal and domestic streams.

The presence of chemicals (said to be carcinogenic in nature) in the air as claimed by the respondents were neither used nor manufactured by the company. Emissions and effluents from the plant were well within pollution control norms. The hazardous wastes were being placed into secure and impervious storages constructed as per the stipulations of the Central Pollution Control Board.

It further said that the "motivated campaign" had caused concern among the promoters, directors, shareholders and employees.

According to M.Nizamudeen of the Consumer Forum, the respondents had the irrefutable records of their findings.

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