The Hindu Business Line : Tirupur dye sector in pollution net — Told to fork out Rs 104-cr cash compensation

THE issue of pollution is revisiting the Tirupur textile wet processing industries. This time it comes with a notice of cash compensation payable to the farmers affected by the ground water pollution from a pollution auditing agency.

The Loss of Ecology Authority (LEA) appointed by the Madras High Court's green-bench to assess the damage caused by ground water pollution by the Tirupur dyeing and bleaching industries has asked the latter to pay Rs 104 crore as the compensation to the farmers of the Noyyal river basin in the adjoining Erode district for agricultural crop loss suffered by them in the vicinity of the Orathupalayam check dam.

The cash compensation to the Orathupalayam farmers has been made out on the basis of damage assessment study done by a team from the Anna University's Department of Environmental Sciences engaged by LEA. The compensation has been made for the loss incurred by the farmers coming under the Orathupalayam dam ayacut for a four-year period between 1999-2002, according to Tirupur wet processing industry sources.

The sources said that while there has been no deadline fixed for the payment of compensation by the LEA, the latter has called upon the Tirupur dyeing units to reply to the authority before this month-end.

Confirming the LEA's staking monetary compensation from the Tirupur industry for the loss of ground water and crop loss for the Orathupalayam ayacut, the sources in the Tirupur Dyers Association maintained that they would be contesting the LEA's claim of cash compensation.

Stating that they have reservations on the materials taken into account to fix the loss of environment on the Tirupur industries, the sources said that the association is also not agreeable to the view that the entire blame of river water pollution could be placed on the Tirupur dyers. The Orathupalayam dam water pollution has not been caused entirely by the effluent discharged by the Tirupur industries and the pollution was equally caused by the contaminated waters released from other industries, municipal wastes and clinical wastes from other sources.

"The pollution has monetarily benefited not only the dyers and bleachers alone but also other sectors of the industries, trade and exporters as well," the sources said, adding that the members of the association would, however, be willing to join hands with other sections of the industry in contributing their share to clean the Orathupalayam dam waters.

The issue of polluting the Orathupalayam check dam has been hanging on the Tirupur wet processing industries for quite some time and following complaints from the farmers in the dam ayacut area, the LEA under the head of retired Judge Mr Bhaskaran undertook the loss assessment study a year ago.

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