13 April, 2005:
Goons paid off by a local industry ransacked a chicken stall run by monitor S. Pugazhenthi of Sangolikuppam between 10 and 10.45 p.m. today. Sangolikuppam residents have identified the miscreants as people linked to a local businessman running an illegal chemical unit in the vicinity. Pugazhenthi’s security was compromised after a complaint made by him and other monitors regarding the illegal unit in a confidential meeting of the Local Area Environment Committee was leaked to the businessman. Local residents close to the miscreants say the tip-off came from the District Environmental Engineer of the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board.
The Police Station refused to register a complaint unless the identity of the miscreants was established. SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors have said they’ll help rebuild the stall, and will take up the matter with the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board and the District authorities.
Since the release of the first odour monitoring report last year, SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors have faced various threats, including death threats, from anonymous people.