Sunday is not a holiday for polluters

Cuddalore, 28 May 2006: SACEM conducted two pollution patrols – one in the early morning and the other in the afternoon of 28 May, 2006, a Sunday. In their afternoon patrol, they were accompanied by visitors from the US, New Delhi, Chattisgarh and Kolkata. A five-year old child, the daughter of Durga Jha of Chattisgarh-based Dalit Study Circle, had to be dropped off outside the industrial estate after she started experiencing distress within 10 minutes in the industrial estate. One monitor too was unable to withstand the pollution, and dropped out of the patrol. “I can barely stand the smell for a few minutes; I don’t know how these people live here,” said Pranjal Goswami, a labour health activist from New Delhi.

 

The first patrol was conducted from 6:25 pm to 7:30 pm and the second patrol was conducted between 12:50 pm to 1:50 pm. The odour levels ranged from 3 to 8 on a scale of 10. During the first patrol, SACEM learnt about the accident in Pioneer, where a worker was injured after a fall in the 3^rd floor of an unauthorized plant. To read more details about the Pioneer accident, click here…

 

Read the complete pollution patrol report :

Pollution Patrol I

Date: 28 May 2006

Time: 6:25 am

 

S No.	Name of the unit	Time	Wind Direction	Type of odour	Rank	Health effects	Other comments	Location of monitors
1.	Arkema Peroxides	6:25 am	SW to NE	Kerosene odour	3	—	NA	ECR road
2.	Pandian Chemicals	6:30 am	SW to NE	—	—	—	NA	ECR road
3.	Pioneer Miyagi Chemicals	6:35 am	SW to NE	—	—	—	—	ECR road
4.	SPIC Pharma	6:42 am	SW to NE	Rotten egg	7	Stomach rumbling, vomiting and suffocation	NA	Road to eachangadu village
5.	Tantech Agro Chemicals	6:45 am	SW to NE	Nail polish	7	Throat irritation and headache	NA	Service road north of Tantech Chemicals
6.	Omni cast	6:52 am	SW to NE	—	—	—	—	Service road west of Omni cast
7.	Asian Paints	6:52 am	SW to NE	Sapotta	5	—	NA	Service road behind Asian paints
8.	CUSECS 5	6:57 am	SW to NE	Faint odour of rotten things	—	—	NA	Service road no 5 outside CUSECS 5 gate
9.	Loyal Super Fabrics	7:02 am	SW to NE	Dyeing chemicals	5	Throat irritation and headache	—	Service road no 5 outside Loyal Super fabrics gate
10.	Shasun Drugs and Chemicals	7:08 am	SW to NE	Sweet fruit	8	Eye burning, suffocation and vomiting	—	Road to Kudikadu village
11.	Vanavil Dyes (Name changed to Clariant)	7:13 am	SW to NE	Burnt rubber	3	—	—	ECR road
12.	TANFAC	7:20 am	SW to NE	Ammonia and rotten cabbage odour	4	Headache	—	ECR road
13.	CUSECS 6	7:25 am	SW to NE	—	—	—	NA	Road behind TANFAC guest house
14.	Victory Chemicals	7:26 am	SW to NE	—	—	—	NA	Outside Victory Chemicals gate
15.	Pondicherry Alum	7:30 am	SW to NE	Acid	3	—	—	ECR road
16.	Tagros Chemicals	7:32 am	SW to NE	Mint	8	Face burning, stomach rumbling and vomiting	Loud sound of pressure releasing in side the unit.	ECR road

 

 

Pollution Patrol II

Date: 28 May 2006

Time: 12:50 am

 

S No.	Name of the unit	Time	Wind Direction	Type of odour	Rank	Health effects	Other comments	Location of monitors
1.	Tagros Chemicals	12:50 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	Service road north of Tagros unit
2.	Victory Chemicals	12:52 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	Outside factory gate
3.	CUSECS 6	12:59 pm	South to North	Rotten things	4	Headache	—	North of the facility
4.	TANFAC	1:07 pm	South to North	Acid	3	—	—	Northern side of TANFAC factory
5.	Arkema Peroxicde	1:25 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	ECR road
6.	Pandian Chemicals	1:27 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	ECR road
7.	Pioneer Miyagi	1:29 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	ECR road
8.	SPIC	1:32 pm	South to North	Public toilet odour	8	Headache	—	Road to Eachangadu village
9.	Tantech	1:44 pm	South to North	Mosquito coil	7	Suffocation and headache	—	Service road on the north of the unit
10.	Asian paints	1:45 pm	South to North	Sapotta	4	—	Loud sound of pressure being released in India	Service road no 5, behind the Asian Paints unit
11.	CUSECS 5	1:46 pm	South to North	—	—	—	—	Service road no 5, outside CUSECS gate
12.	Shasun Chemcials	1:50 pm	South to North	Rotten things and public toilet odour	7	Headache and suffocation	—	Raod to Kudikadu village