Cuddalore, 16 December 2010: Victory Chemicals has shut down its operations in Cuddalore from 14 December onwards. According to a notice posted on the factory gates, rising raw material prices and marketing problems of the final product are the reasons behind the closure. The notice also states that the settlement wages of the workers would be posted to their homes. This closure would affect at least 100 contract workers who were employed in the unit.
Victory Chemicals has been notorious for pollution and mis-management of its hazardous waste. The factory was shut down for a month by the TNPCB in December 2004 when it was caught red handed dumping hazardous wastes illegally. Until now, the unit used to store most of its waste within its premises and there have been several complaints about the waste leaching into the river Uppanar. In the light of the current closure announced by the unit, SACEM has written to the TNPCB demanding an immediate assessment of the contamination caused by the unit in and around its premises. SACEM has also demanded a cleanup and remediation plan from the unit under the polluter pays principle.