SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors

Search:		Acid Spill as Bus Rams into Acid Tanker Mettur, 2 January, 2012 -- A public transport bus rammed against and broke the valve of an acid tanker allegedly from Chemplast's Plant III leading to a massive spill onto the road and a nearby canal leading to the River Cauvery. Read More... Chemplast Worker Dies Days After Occupational Injury METTUR, 19 DECEMBER, 2011: On 13 December 2011 around 3.30 P.M., Shanmugam, s/o Ramasamy, TMB Nagar, near Samballi, aged 56 died on his way to the hospital from Chemplast Sanmar Plant II. Read more... Police Investigates Chemplast Pollution Complaints Mettur, 16 December, 2011: A Sub-inspector from the State Criminal Investigation Department today visited the surroundings of Chemplast Sanmar to investigate pollution complaints received from local residents. Read more... Police Investigates Chemplast Pollution Complaints Mettur, 16 December, 2011: A Sub-inspector from the State Criminal Investigation Department today visited the surroundings of Chemplast Sanmar to investigate pollution complaints received from local residents. Read more... Chemplast Sanmar releases foul smelling discharge during rains Mettur, 1 December 2011: There was yet another instance of illegal and ongoing discharge of foul-smelling effluents into the channel dug by Chemplast alongside the compound wall of their Plant II. Read more... Rains Expose Chemplast Lies About Zero Discharge 19 August, 2011. Mettur -- Contaminated effluents are being discharged by Chemplast factories onto people's lands and into public canals, according to farmers and the Gonur West Agriculturists Development Union. Read more... GAS LEAK IN CHEMPLAST SANMAR PLANT I METTUR, 06.08.2011 About twenty people suffered from breathing difficulty, stomach swelling and burning of the eyes following a gas leak from Plant I of Chemplast Sanmar in Mettur R.S. on 06.08.2011 at 7.00 P.M. Read more... Effluent Discharge at Greenpark Odai through an Illegal Pipeline 28 JULY, 2011 Greenpark, Mettur - Villagers in the Thangamapuripatnam area reported a discharge of stong medicine smelling effluents in the stream alongiside the residential area in Greenpark at around 6 a.m. today. Read more... Mettur Residents Petition Collector Against Pollution 25 JULY, 2011. SALEM -- Twenty seven people from different parts of Mettur submitted complaints of pollution and damage to health and livelihood to the District Collector of Salem at the Grievance day meeting at the Collectorate. Read more... Worker Killed in Malco Accident 26 May, 2011. METTUR -- Ganapathy, a 55-year old contract worker, died while unloading coal from rail wagons in Vedanta-subsidiary MALCO's coalyard in Mettur Railway Station. Read more... Farmers foil Chemplast Attempts to Divert Effluent Channel 25 May, 2011, METTUR -- An earth-moving machine, admittedly working for Chemplast Sanmar, was found excavating the silt from the side of the compound wall of its Plant II at around 9.30 a.m. on 24 May, 2011. Read more... Foul Smelling Discharge from Chemplast's PVC Plant in Mettur Mettur, 06 May, 2011 – Raising questions about Chemplast's much publicised claims of Zero Discharge, the Gonur West Agriculturists Development Union on 4 May, 2011, discovered and reported what appeared to be illegal discharge of effluents from the company's PVC plant in Mettur. Read more... Worker loses both feet at accident in JSW Siscol 1 September, 2010, Mettur: One worker, R. Palaniappan, aged 50, lost both his feet while doing maintenance work on a 10 mm steel rod cutting machine at around 10.30 a.m. on 31 August, 2010. Read more... Accident in SIDCO unit in Mettur; One worker dead, two injured Mettur, 6 June 2010: A malfunction in a factory unit of Sri Lakshmi Chemicals in SIDCO Mettur claimed the life of one worker and injured two. Read more... Massive Fish kills in Mettur Stretch of Kaveri Mettur, 22 May, 2010: Massive fish kills along more than a two km stretch of the River Kaveri all the way from Kaveri Cross (about 3 km from the reservoir) to Chakkanoor Barrage in Mettur has caused considerable concern among local residents and fisherfolk. Read more... Mettur residents gear up to fight polluting industries; Get trained in Community Environmental Monitoring techniques from SACEM Mettur, 25 April 2010: About 20 residents including 9 women from various neighbourhoods in Mettur got trained in Community Environmental Monitoring (CEM) skills in order to monitor and report pollution related incidents and environmental violations of various industries in their region. Read more... Chemplast Coalyard: Illegal and Polluting -- Residents Send Delegation to TNPCB Mettur, 1 February, 2010 -- An illegal coal yard, set up without the statutory Consent to Establish by Chemplast Sanmar, is now the cause of coal dust pollution in the residential area surrounding the yard, according to Mettur Padhukaappu Iyakkam (Mettur Protection Organisation) Thangamapuripatnam branch. Read more... Gas leak at Chemplast Plant III ; 14 people injured Mettur, 31 January 2010: A gas leak was reported from Plant III of Chemplast Sanmar in Mettur at about 1 pm yesterday. According to the sources about 14 people from Mottur, Karungakaradu block located on the backside of Plant III were hospitalised at the General Hospital after being exposed to the gas. People reported symptoms of nausea, eye burning and vomiting. Read more... 200 Coconut Saplings wither away due to contamination from Chemplast Sanmar Mettur, 29 November 2009: On 25 November 2009, K.M.Ardhanari from Panangkadu Pudhu Colony, presented a formal complaint to the Gonur West Agriculturist's Development Union that 200 coconut saplings planted by him in his field had dried and died owing to effluents from Chemplast Sanmar contaminating his land. Read more... Distressed villagers block road in Mettur Mettur, 31 October 2009 - Around 30 villagers from Green Park area in Thangamapuripattinam village in Mettur gathered yesterday at 12 noon and blocked the Mettur-Bhavani link road to protest the arrival of coal in the new coal yard owned by Chemplast Sanmar in their area. Read more... Mettur Villagers expose bias in health study 2 October 2009, Salem: The Deputy Director of Health Services, Salem, has pressed criminal charges against some of the 20 villagers affected by pollution from Chemplast Sanmar's chemical plant in Mettur who met him on 1 October in his office to question him about the unscientific and biased community health study conducted by the Government Medical College under his supervision for Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. Read more... Villagers Confront Chemplast on Illegal Trial Runs Mettur, 8 September, 2009 -- About 15 villagers from the vicinity of the Chemplast factory in Mettur gathered in front of the factory to ask them to cease testing of the steam lines of their new thermal power plant until proper permission is obtained from the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board. Read more... Chemplast's thermal plant trials causes noise, panic Mettur, 6 September, 2009 -- Trial runs begun by Chemplast four days ago have led to widespread complaints among nearby residents as the noise associated with the release of steam from the boiler is "unbearably high." Read more... Chemplast Sanmar caught illegally discharging effluents in Kaveri Mettur, 14 August, 2009 - Giving the lie to Chemplast Sanmar's claim of Zero Liquid discharge from its chemical facilities in Mettur, the company was caught red-handed last night while discharging highly toxic pollutants into the River Kaveri. Read more... Gas Leak in Plant 1 denied by Chemplast Sanmar Mettur, 07 April 2009: A noxious gas leak between 8 and 8.45 p.m. on 6 April, 2009, from Chemplast Plant I (CFC division) brought angry villagers from Kavipuram and Desai Nagar to the plant gate. Read more... Second Gas Leak Plant in 6 months at Chemplast Plant I Mettur, 13 March 2009: A leak of chlorine and antimony gas from Chemplast Sanmar Plant 1 at 3.30 a.m on 11 March has been reported by local sources. Read more... Second Gas Leak Plant in 6 months at Chemplast Plant I Mettur, 13 March 2009: A leak of chlorine and antimony gas from Chemplast Sanmar Plant 1 at 3.30 a.m on 11 March has been reported by local sources. Read more... Chemplast Sanmar caught dumping waste into River Kaveri Mettur, 12 March 2009: A tanker carrying toxic effluents from Chemplast Sanmar was caught on 11 March while discharging its contents into a water-body in Mettur by villagers, and handed over to the Karumalaikoodal Police Station. Read more... Explosion at Chemplast's Silicon unit; One worker maimed 21 February, 2009, Mettur Dam One worker - P. Thangaraj (23 years) of Anaipallam hamlet -- had to have his left leg amputated after a massive explosion at Chemplast's Metkem Silicon plant in Mettur Dam crushed the victims limb. Read more... Gas Leak at Chemplast Plant I Mettur, 28 September 2008: There was a massive gas leak of HCFC 22 (Hydrogenated Chloroflouro Carbon 22) from Chemplast Plant I, manufacturing Chloroflouro Carbons this evening at 5.30 p.m. Read More... Construction of Thermal Plant brought to a halt 08 May 2008, Chennai/Salem: All activities at the coal based captive power plant owned by Chemplast Sanmar Limited in Mettur came to a standstill after the Environment Appellate Authority passed an order on May 6th 2008 directing the company to stop construction and operation at the plant. Read More... Mettur villagers stage rally against illegal coal yard Mettur, 15 April, 2008: The Gonur West Agriculturalists Development Union (GWADU) organized a protest rally, demanding a stop to the construction and operation of Chemplast Sanmar's coal yard at the Mettur Railway Station. Read More... Operation of Illegal Thermal Power Plant in Mettur stopped Salem, 25 March, 2008: On 24th March the Environment Appellate Authority ordered Chemplast Sanmar Ltd, Mettur to stop construction or operation of their illegal thermal power plant. Read More... Cow Poisoned, Farms Contaminated by Chemical Spill Mettur, February 28, 2008 -- A chemical spill from Mettur-based micronutrient manufacturer Meenakshi Chemicals has contaminated several kilometres of a stream that empties into the River Kaveri. Read More... Suspected underground pipes from Chemplast break; causing effluent leaks 10 February 2008 Mettur: An underground effluent pipeline suspected to be from Chemplast Sanmar was accidentally broken while laying foundation for a new railway station adjacent to the old one in RS, Mettur, in the firs week of February. Read More... Fish Kill due to effluent discharge in the Kaveri Mettur, 05, February, 2008 - A massive fish kill of tilapia and an eel-like freshwater fish was reported down stream of Chemplast Sanmar's effluent discharge point in the River Kaveri on 3rd February. Read More... Accident in Chemplast Power Plant, Mettur; One Worker Dead, Another Severely Injured Mettur, 30 January, 2008 - A contract worker Prithviraj, age 25 yrs, died on the way to the hospital after being severely injured in an accident during the construction of the thermal power plant in Chemplast Sanmar, Mettur. Read More... 4 Mishaps in 30 days in Mettur Mettur, 27 December 2007 - Less than a month after Chemplast Sanmar released its Sustainability report which highlights the company's pro-active measures to ensure that its business practices safeguard the environment, the company has been plagued with numerous safety lapses and allegations of pollution by its host community in Mettur. Read More... Tanker Dumps Toxic Wastes in Kaveri at Mettur 1 December, 2007 -- A Paras tanker carrying liquid effluents from Alwaye, Kerala-based Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) was caught by villagers in Mettur, even as it was emptying its toxic cargo into a stream flowing from MALCO Ltd's compound. Read More... Villagers from Mettur's Pollution Impacted Area Demand Immediate Action at TNPCB Chennai 15 November 2007: 100 agitated people from Mettur assembled at the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board at Guindy today to present a copy of a report, 'Unfolding Diasater - A Study of Chemplast Sanmar's toxic contamination in Mettur' and demanded that the TNPCB take the required action to control pollution in the area. Read More... More than 400 residents protesting Chemplast Sanmar pollution court arrest. Mettur 18 April 2007: Around 400 farmers and residents affected by the pollution from the Chemplast Sanmar factory in Mettur today gathered at Kolipannai to launch a protest rally and gate blockade against the company's human rights and environmental violations. Read more... Chemplast Sanmar Allowed to Construct at Own Risk Chennai, 17 March, 2007: The Madras High Court today while hearing a Writ Petition filed by S. Elumalai and V. Palanivelu challenging the consent to establish granted to the Chemplast Sanmar by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, declined to stay the consent order but made it very clear that the fate of the construction carried on by Chemplast Sanmar will be subject to the outcome of the current writ petition. Read more... Mettur Residents Report Chlorine Leak from Chemplast Plant III 28 September, 2006. Mettur Dam -- Shopkeepers and shop-goers near the Raman Nagar commercial area opposite the gates of Chemplast Sanmar factory were assailed by a wave of chlorine gas at around 2 p.m. today. Read more... Legal Aid Camp held in Mettur to help pollution-impacted communities Mettur, 24 October, 2005: A team of three lawyers and recent law graduates visited Mettur on 22-23 October, 2005, to conduct a legal aid camp aimed at assisting victims of pollution in seeking legal redressal including compensation. Read more... Trade Union Admits to Chemplast's Pollution; Police Harass Local Farmers September 20, 2005 For the first time, SLM 70 -- -- a management-controlled trade union within Chemplast Sanmar's PVC plant in Mettur -- admitted at an environmental awareness meeting organised by them that Chemplast's chemical factories had caused widespread damage. Read more... 25 July, 2005. CHENNAI -- Panel Indicts Chemplast, MALCO for pollution, human rights violations "Chemplast Sanmar and MALCO have caused irreparable damage to humans and the environment" in Mettur according to the Indian People's Tribunal (IPT) Report on the Environmental and Human Rights Violations by Chemplast Sanmar and MALCO Industries at Mettur, Tamilnadu. Read more...