The Kerala government has initiated the process of filing criminal charges against Coca-Cola for water pollution. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board issued a notice in the first week of October to the soft drinks major's Indian unit, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, in this regard.

The board has charged Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages with releasing a large amount of cadmium in sludge, which is contaminating groundwater, making it unfit for human consumption. The company has been given two weeks to respond. However, in a media statement, a spokesperson for Hindustan Coca-Cola said their plant in Plachimada district has not been operational since March 9, 2004. "The board's action is unwarranted and arbitrary,' he said. The plant has been accused of depleting water and pollution since it began operations.