The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Snapping of power supply to dyeing units in Tirupur begins

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Thursday, Feb 03, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Snapping of power supply to dyeing units in Tirupur begins

R. Vimal Kumar

Corporation says it will take two days to complete the process

photos: m. balaji

Order and disorder:Power supply to a dyeing unit at Andipalayam in Tirupur being disconnected and (right) industrial effluents flowing in River Noyyal near Koolipalayam Pirivu on Wednesday. –

Tirupur: Five days after the Madras High Court ordered the closure of all the 754 dyeing and bleaching units in Tirupur, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on Wednesday evening directed the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation to disconnect the power supply to these units.

The corporation superintending engineer S. Nirmala told The Hindu that the disconnection process began on Wednesday night and would be completed in two days. The delay in giving instructions to the corporation, even after the board received a copy of the court order on Tuesday morning, had already invited the wrath of the farming community.

Amid mounting pressure, the board officials handed over a copy of the order to the corporation superintending engineer here on Wednesday evening.

It asked the corporation to start the process of disconnecting power supply to these units even if it was late into the night. Till the previous day, the board officials were of the view that the power supply would not be cut by the corporation after sunset.

The Madras High Court in its order on January 28, had already criticised the board.

Court's view

The Bench comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Iqbal and Justice T. S. Sivagnanam had observed: “If as stated by the board there had been periodic monitoring and constant vigilance, the violations committed by these units would have come to light much earlier. Thus, prima facie, we are of the view that there has been dormancy/lethargy on the part of officials in implementing the directions of the High Court even after the disposal of the appeal by the Supreme Court in October 2009.”

The bench further said: “It was a matter of great concern that in spite of the court's specific direction, the units continued discharging effluents and did not achieve zero liquid discharge. At the same time, the Pollution Control Board failed to close the units. Only after the matter was taken up by the High Court, did the board close some units.”

Even after the court order on Friday, industrial effluents were seen flowing in large quantities across the River Noyyal stretch passing through the city and its hinterland, till Wednesday evening.

The board officials remained a silent spectator to the pollution during the period since they were busy forwarding the closure order copy to the corporation.

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