Promising corrective action vis-à-vis pollution in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, Environment Minister, Alina Saldanha has said she would personally visit the Estate next week to take stock of the situation on the pollution front.

Speaking to newsmen at Chinchinim on the sidelines of the awareness program on Garbage management, Saldanha said the situation is indeed alarming if pollution have affected the health and life of the local populace. “I am going to see that corrective measures are taken in the industrial estate immediately. I will visit the Industrial estate by the weekend”, she said.

‘Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will take steps to control pollution

The water flow in the Bhavani River has witnessed a substantial increase since last week and the farmers depending on the river for irrigation are gravely concerned. The reason - the water flow has gone up because the textile processing and tannery units are dumping thousands of gallons of untreated, toxic effluents in the river.

PANJIM: Not satisfied with the ‘short-term measures’ undertaken by M/s The Axis to ensure safe storage of hazardous waste dumped at plot No. L-2 in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, the Goa State Pollution Control Board has asked the company to initiate immediate action to ensure temporary safe storage of the waste.

In directions issued on March 8, the Board has asked the company among other things to construct a shed around the hazardous waste with GI sheets on the sides, a new boundary wall to keep intruders and stray animals out, storm water drains leading to a settling tank and construct four test wells.

‘Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will take steps to control pollution’

The water flow in the Bhavani River has witnessed a substantial increase since last week and the farmers depending on the river for irrigation are gravely concerned. The reason - the water flow has gone up because the textile processing and tannery units are dumping thousands of gallons of untreated, toxic effluents in the river. “We will be happy if the flow increases due to the release of water from the Bhavanisagar dam. What the river receives now is huge amount of toxic effluents from the textile processing and tannery units,” points out district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association T. Subbu.

Space constraints and the absence of modern infrastructure have prompted 35 textile manufacturing and processing units in Madurai to shift base to Kariapatti in neighbouring Virudhunagar district.

The units manufacture yarn and process them into fabrics before exporting them to various places. The units in Madurai generate an annual revenue of Rs. 100 crore by direct export and Rs. 350 crore by indirect export within India and to the US and the UK.Ritan N. Thakker, Chairman and Managing Director of Southern District Textile Processing Cluster, told The Hindu that 35 of the 70 units in Madurai would form a cluster at Kariapatti where 104 acres of land had been purchased. The industrial units had registered their names at the District Industries Centre in Virudhunagar and once the formalities were over, the construction of industrial units will begin.

Kochi: The pollution in the industrial belt of Eloor-Edayar is impacting on its population with four major non-communicable diseases claiming as many as 110 deaths in Kadungallur grama panchayat in just 10 months up to October 2012.

The Pathalam bund in Periyar is located in Kadungallur and 85 chemical industries are also situated above the bund. The KWA Muppathadam pump house in the Periyar which supplies drinking water to one lakh popupation in Alangad, Karumaloor and Kadungallur panchayats, is also situated in Kadungallur panchayat.

Bangalore: An initiative by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to address the problem posed by slurry waste from granite units at Jigani along Bannerghatta Road has become a boon for garbage contractors. They have got the chance to dump waste on the sly in abandoned quarries of the area.

At least 20 tonnes of Bangalore’s waste finds its way here. The KSPCB though is not complaining, given that it hasn’t really affected its plans to dump slurry waste in the quarry pits.

People say the units are polluting Cauvery and Bhavani rivers

Residents of Suriyampalayam have appealed to the district administration to shut down all the polluting textile processing and tannery units in Erode town and its surroundings. A number of textile processing and tannery units in the district were dumping huge amount of untreated, toxic effluents in the waterways, Cauvery and Bhavani rivers and vacant lands causing irreversible damage to the environment.

Environmental authorities in East China's Shandong province said Thursday that they have not found evidence that a local factory has disposed of polluted water underground.

MARGAO: The Cuncolim Municipal Council on Monday decided to hold a public meeting on the Cuncolim Industrial Estate by inviting officials from the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Industrial Development Corporation and the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers.

At a meeting of the Council on Monday, Cuncolim city fathers raised concern over pollution in the industrial estate and encroachments by industrial units within the jurisdiction of the civic body.