Cuddalore, 20 August 2008: SIPCOT Cuddalore got a surprise visit from a high powered team of Tamil Nadu government including the Industry Secretary M. F. Farooqui, Energy Secretary Smita Nagraj, Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) R. Balakrishnan, Member Secretary of TNPCB R. Rmachandran and the District Collector and District Revenue Officer (DRO) of Cuddalore. The committee inspected various industries in SIPCOT including CUSECS and Chemplast facility. According to the sources the purpose of the visit was to check on irregularities by the existing units and site visit for the proposed Power Plant, Refinery and the Port.
The committee after inspecting Tantech, a pesticide manufacturing unit in SIPCOT ordered an immediate power cut to the facility acknowledging the existing violations. This measure came as a relief to the communities who have been complaining about Tantech’s violations for a very long time. More than 400 members of the community also met with the committee members at the end of their visit to petition them about the existing pollution in the region, ongoing violations of CUSECS and Chemplast facility and to reiterate their demand on no new chemical or polluting industry in the region.
The committee assured the community members that their grievances would be addressed without delay.
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- Surprise visit
The Hindu, 20 August 2008