Cuddalore, 23 April 2005: The industries in SIPCOT Cuddlaore got an unpleasant surprise yesterday when the Local Area Environment Committee chairman, Adv. T. Mohan, along with other LAEC members joined the SACEM monitors on a midnight pollution patrol in the area. The team spent more than two hours in the area visiting every part of the industrial complex and observing and recording instances of environmental pollution and chemical odours. Monitors report that the chemical odour in the area ranged from “noticeable” to “intense” and visibility was extremely low in some parts of the industrial complex due to heavy smoke.
The visit was conducted without even informing the Pollution Control Board because of concerns that information shared with the regulator is often leaked to the industries. “The TNPCB seems more keen to protect polluters than it is to protect public health. They have a long way to go before communities and public begin trusting them,” said Nityanand Jayaraman, an advisor to the SIPCOT Area Community Environment Monitors.
What were the conditions in SIPCOT during the midnight patrol? Read Report below.
Pollution Patrol Report
Date: 22/ 23 April 2005
Time: 11:00 pm to 12:15 am
| Company | Time | Wind direction | Chemical odour | Rank | Health effects | Other comments |
| Tagros Chemicals | 11:00 pm | From South East to North West | Spent and spirit odour | 5 | Suffocation and throat irritation | There was light white smoke emissions from two chimneys and there was periodic hissing noise form the unit |
| Victory Chemicals | 11:10 pm | From East to West | Acid and explosives odour | 6 | Suffocation and throat burning | There was dense white smoke coming from the unit, the visibility in the area was extremely low because of it. |
| CUSECS 6 | 11:25 pm | From South East to North West | Toilet Smell | 8 | Eye burning and suffocation | — |
| TANFAC | 11:45 pm | From South East to North West | Hydrofluoric acid and sulphur odour | 6 | Throat burning | Light smoke was noticed form one of the chimneys |
| Tantech Agro Chemicals | 12:00 am | From South East to North West | Acid smell and mosquito coil smell | 4 | Eye burning; irritability | Light white smoke was noticed from the unit |
| Shasun Drugs and Chemicals | — | From South East to North West | Roasted popcorn smell | — | Suffocation | — |
| CUSECS 5 | — | From South East to North West | A mixture of different chemical odours | 7 | Giddiness, suffocation and vomiting sensation | — |
| Asian Paints | — | From South East to North West | Sappotta fruit odour | 4 | — | — |
| SPIC | 12:05 am | From South East to North West | No odour | — | — | Light smoke noticed from the chimney |
| Pioneer Miyagi | 12:07 am | From South East to North West | Roasted powder odour | 3 | — | Light white smoke noticed from the unit |
| Bayer and Arkema Complex | 12:10 am | From South East to North West | Mosquito coil odour | 4 | — | — |
Members present:
T. Arulselvam (SACEM)
G.K. Amrithalingam (SACEM)
S. Pugazendhi (Member, LAEC)
S. Ramanathan (Member, LAEC)
S. Shivashankar (SACEM)
J. Parsuraman (SACEM)
M. Nizamudeen (Member, LAEC)
T. Mohan (Chairman, LAEC)