Report by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board regarding chromium waste destroying agriculture in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, 10/06/2022
Report filed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board regarding chromium waste destroying agriculture in Ranipet and affecting health.
The NGT, May 17, 2022 had directed the SPCB to file a detailed report regarding the remediation measures for restoration of chromium contaminated sites at M/s Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicals Ltd (TCCL), Ranipet. TCCL operated between the period 1975-1995 and manufactured products such as sodium biochromate, basic chromium sulphate and sodium sulphate using chromate ore as main raw material. Around 2.2 lakh tonnes of chromium bearing hazardous waste generated during process activity was stocked at the backyard of the premises on open land over an area of 2 hectares in varying heights of 3 to 5 meters.
The leachate generation from the chromium bearing hazardous waste of stockpiles is causing chromium contamination of land, groundwater in that area. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has made several attempts over a period of time to find out a permanent solution for the decontamination of TCCL site.
However, as the cost of such proposals were on the higher side, the funding source could not be identified, the report informed the Green Tribunal. In the meantime, the contamination continued to spread over a larger area and TNPCB decided to go ahead with the interim measure approved by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This was only a temporary arrangement, till the implementation of the permanent remedial measures and identifying the source of funding to minimize further contamination.