Oct 14, 2012
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
SALEM: Five men and 10 children from Konur village in Nangavalli Panchayat Union have been admitted to Mettur General Hospital after they complained of asphyxiation and eye irritation following gas leak from a private chemical manufacturing company in Mettur on Saturday evening. Mettur revenue divisional officer S Suryaprakash has ordered an inquiry into the gas leakage and has asked the GH to ensure necessary care to the affected villagers.
Suryaprakash said the gas leak took place at Chemplast Sanmar, which manufactures PVC resins and caustic. “There is no serious impact on the people. However, 10 children including one girl, and five men who lived in Konur village near the company, were asphyxiated and experienced irritation in their eyes. They have been admitted to Mettur GH and are being treated,” Suryaprakash told TOI.
However, manager of Chemplast, Gokula Krishnan, claimed on phone that he was unaware of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Nangavalli Panchayat Union has threatened to file a police complaint regarding the incident on Sunday. Union president P Jeevanandam said that many people who live near the company face problems due to the company. “We will lodge a police complaint on Sunday,” he told TOI.
Residents of R S Area near Chemplast had in August complained about gas leak from the company to Salem collector. Local residents complain that many people have suffered with various diseases due to effluents released by the company. A social activist, A Radhakrishnan, moved the Madras high court on the issue in August and the court had ordered the pollution control board to look into the matter. Accordingly, a 16-member team headed by Mettur RDO S Suryaprakash, comprising of officials drawn from District Environment Engineering of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Tamil Nadu Water Supply And Drainage Board (TWAD), Public Works Department (PWD), Agriculture and Factories conducted an inspection on September 5. The team is yet to submit the report of the inspection so far.