Cuddalore, April 14, 2008 — Barely two weeks after Cuddalore industries were given a dressing down by Member of Parliament and DMK leader K. Kanimozhi, Pioneer Miyagi — a Semmankuppam-based gelatin manufacturer — was caught discharing toxic effluents into a canal and the Uppanar river today. Inspecting a complaint received from Mr. Arumugam, vice-president of Semmankuppam Panchayat, a SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitor (SACEM) visited the river at 7 a.m. The Assistant Environmental Engineer of Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board Mr. Malayandi arrived for inspection at 8 a.m. SACEM reported that river water samples were taken by the Board for analyses.
According to SACEM, effluent discharges to river and land by Pioneer is a routine affair. SACEM’s scorecard on Cuddalore’s industrial pollution for the year ending December 2007 lists Pioneer among repeat offenders. The company was caught for illegally discharging effluents at least on two occasions last year.