East St. Louis: Two persons have died after exposure to a dangerous chemical at a storage and mixing plant, a city official said today.

At least eight people were sickened by exposure to the chemical yesterday, and emergency rooms were quarantined at two St. Louis hospitals where those people sought treatment.

In a statement issued early today, East St. Louis City Manager Robert Betts said two people had died. The chemical was released when a barrel was dropped at the Ro-Corp. plant.

Jamshedpur: Work for the Adityapur Auto Cluster has gained momentum after the Centre announced 75 per cent subsidy for the Rs 65-crore project.

Pushpak Management Services has been appointed as the consultant. Officials said a team of industrialists would soon leave for Pune and Nagpur to study auto clusters.

The team will acquire knowledge on effluent treatment plants and hazardous waste management systems in Nagpur. The process will help incorporate the best methods and practices being followed by these clusters.

Brick kilns near populated areas, fields pose threat to life, crops

The Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, threatened the state government with a mass agitation if the latter failed to initiate action against the industrial units discharging effluents in Budda Nullah.

Hindupur, July 7: The minister for tourism and major industries, Ms J. Geeta Reddy, claimed that the state is progressing on industrial front in a never before manner under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. "I can declare that it was a golden time for the industries in the Congress regime. Already the state stood in the second place in the entire country in industrial development and in no time it would reach the top slot." The minister conducted a review meeting on the situation of industries at Toomukunta industrial estate near Hindupur of Anantapur district.

Haryana Governor Dr A.R. Kidwai and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today called for a check on the use of oxytocin and waste water on plants at a meeting of the State Environment Protection Council of Haryana, held under council chairman Dr A.R. Kidwai at Raj Bhavan today. Reuse and recycling of industrial and domestic waste water by making laying of dual lines mandatory for all new buildings to be constructed in the state was one of the measures suggested for tackling waste water menace.

The Left Front government may claim to give equal importance to both industrialisation and agriculture, but nearly 30,000 villagers of 20 villages in Uluberia do not believe them. For they have to incur huge financial losses every year as their crops are damaged by contaminated water used for irrigation. The water they use comes from the Hangar canal, which they say has become contaminated with poisonous residue, left over by "illegal" liquor factories.

Pollution of the Hooghly by industries and municipalities will be monitored by a cell within the state pollution control board and an independent committee. A Telegraph picture The state environment department has decided to constitute a cell within the state pollution control board and an independent committee to monitor pollution of the Hooghly, after the Centre shot down the proposal to form a separate authority for the purpose.

Notices issued to 500 industries in Ludhiana