Villagers 'detain' Sterlite employees

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN, NOV. 24. Some employees of the Sterlite Copper plant here were detained by the residents of the Meelavittan village on Friday, in protest against the alleged release of factory effluents into a pond in the locality.

Police said all the seven detained Sterlite staff were `released' after nearly three hours, thanks to the intervention of the revenue and police personnel who had promised to look into the villagers' demand for steps to prevent their water source from getting polluted.

The villagers said the pond water was being used for bathing as well as for drinking purposes. Their repeated appeals to the factory management not to release the effluents into the pond were ignored and the water stored in the tank had turned green due to the `pollution', they alleged.

Even as the Pollution Control Board (PCB) personnel visited the spot and collected water samples from the tank, the Tahsildar assured the villagers that the issue could be sorted out in a meeting with the officials at a higher level after the PCB tests. The district forensic officer also visited the area.

Meanwhile, the factory sources denied that effluents were being released from the factory. Only the stagnated water was pumped out of the premises, they claimed.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : TMC urges Nedumaran to reveal names
Next     : Periyar, Vaigai dams receive copious flow