THE residents of Indapur taluka near Puneire up in arms against the setting up ofthe 'Rs,650 crore mega paper project of Sinar @4ass Pulp & Paper (India) Ltd. In their neighbourhood. Their principle cbmplaints are related to the implications ofthe effluent dischirge on their drinking water source and the fallout of flyash emissions on the villages surrounding the project.

Expected to produce 2 lakh tonnes of paper a year, beginning June 1996, the project will discharge 2.25 crore litres of highly polluted industrial effluents into a nullah which flows into the river Neera. This river is the main source of drinking water for Indapur's population.