Cuddalore, 9 November 2007: SACEM monitors today reported another incident of illegal effluent discharge in the Eachangadu canal next to the Eachangadu village in SIPCOT Cuddalore. According to the monitors the effluent was brick red in colour and had a strong odour of paint and kerosene to it ranked at 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. Monitors reported headache and stomach rumbling due to the odour of the effluent and itching of skin when in contact with it. It was also reported that the there were traces of the effluent in the canal at the entrance of the village but a large quantity of effluent was mostly further down in the canal near the river Uppanar.
Monitors suspect that effluent to be from Asian Paints as in the past the unit has been caught dumping effluent with similar characteristics in to the canal and river. A formal complaint has been filed with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, their report is expected soon.