Chemical company ordered to be closed

Chemical company ordered to be closedTuesday March 7 2006 00:00 IST
CUDDALORE: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has ordered closure of a chemical firm on charges of violating the norms of the TNPCB in the SIPCOT complex here on Monday. The power supply to the firm has also been snapped this evening.

According to sources, the TNPCB had granted permission to Tagros Chemicals India Ltd for the production of pesticide, which included alpha methrin, cyper methrin and per methrin. The firm had obtained licence for a generation capacity of 30 tonnes of the pesticide permonth (1,000 kg per day).

Violating the provisions, the plant had been producing two new products clandestinely. The unit had been developing pesticides - hexaconazole and delta methrin- without the knowledge of TNPCB at the plant. The plant was also generating pesticide more than the prescribed capacity of 1,000 kg of pesticide per day for the past few weeks.

Besides, a contractor of the unit had transported spent hydrochloric acid from the firm and dumped it on an arable land in Poondiyankuppam recently. As a result of this the fertility of the land had been severely affected .

Following intervention of local people and others the plant had extended a relief of Rs 2 lakh to the farmer.

However, the sources said, the unit was held responsible for discarding the acid on the fertile land.

The district unit of TNPCB had conducted an investigation and submitted a detailed report to the TNPCB chairman.

On Monday, the chairman gave necessary directions to the concerned officials to shut the firm immediately.

A team comprising District Environmental Engineer, TNPCB, Ka Karthikeyan, Assistant Engineer, M Malaiyandi, Assistant Executive Engineer, TNEB, Kumarasamy and Assistant Executive Engineer Adhi Moolam visited the firm and served the order.

Source: http://www.newindpress.com/