10 February 2008 Mettur: An underground effluent pipeline suspected to be from Chemplast Sanmar was accidentally broken while laying foundation for a new railway station adjacent to the old one in RS, Mettur, in the firs week of February. The railway station is situated 100 feet away from Plant 1 of Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. On suspicion that the pipe was carrying effluents from Chemplast Sanmar, the railway authorities called for officials from Chemplast to repair the pipeline. The management of the industry immediately sent workers to set right the pipeline.
In a similar incident about two months back, an unknown pipeline was accidentally broken in Muthumani’s house near the railway station, while they were constructing a septic tank in their backyard. They suspected that the pipeline was from Chemplast as the content was a dark colored liquid with a strong chemical odour. Chemplast Sanmar’s officials initially refused that the pipeline was from their industry, but after they dug out old maps which confirmed a pipeline from one of their plants through the Railway Station, they sent workers and fixed the pipeline. According to Barathi, son of Muthumani, “This must be their pipeline that carries effluents to be discharged at the River Kaveri.”
It is also suspected that the pipeline detected in Muthumani’s house and at the railway station is the same.
Picture: Effluent pipeline unearthed in Muthumani’s house