The Hindu Business Line : Coca-Cola can't tap ground water, says Jayalalithaa

THE Coca-Cola bottling plant coming up at Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli district, does not pose a threat of ground water exploitation, clarified the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms Jayalalithaa, in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Intervening during a debate, she said that the bottling plant of the Coca-Cola's Indian arm, Hindustan Coca-Cola Company, has been granted permission to set up a bottling plant at the SIPCOT (State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu) industrial estate in Gangaikondan.

But it has to procure water only through SIPCOT and cannot directly tap ground water.

SIPCOT itself will source the water from Tamirabarani river.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has given its clearance only on the condition that the company does not directly or indirectly tap ground water for its use.

It has to get its water only through SIPCOT, which at the time of land allotment has laid down the condition that the company should not drill any deep borewell on its facility.

SIPCOT has agreed to supply nine lakh litres water a day against the company's request for 12 lakh litres.

SIPCOT itself will not draw water from the ground but from the Tamirabarani. Therefore, there is no need for concern on ground water exploitation, the Chief Minister said.

The Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board has taken steps to set up infrastructure for meeting the industrial estate's water requirement of 45.4 lakh litres a day.

The facility was handed over to SIPCOT on June 4, 2004.

The South India Bottling Company had registered with the Central Government's Secretariat for Industrial Assistance and also obtained a no-objection certificate from the State pollution board.

It has taken 30.89 acres land from SIPCOT on October 21, 2004. It is yet to start production and 80 per cent of the construction work is over.

The State Government has also not granted it any permission to tap water from the Tamirabarani river bed, she said.

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