Report of the Joint Committee on detailed ground water quality study near the industrial area (coir industries cluster), Kangeyam, Tiruppur district. In the matter of Original Application No. 05 of 2016 (SZ), M. Kandasamy Vs The State of Tamil Nadu, in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order January 7, 2020.

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The NGT, Southern Zone, Chennai January 7, 2020 said that a detailed water quality test must be done near the industrial area, where the disputed industries were functioning and also within a radius of 20 kms where the dyeing units were functioning to find out the difference in quality of water with particular reference to TDS level. A Joint Committee was constituted to look into the matter.

The coir manufacturing industries falls under white category as per the latest re-categorisation of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Five coir processing industries are located in Paranchervazhi village, Kangeyam taluk, Tiruppur district. All the five industries were surrounded by dry and wet agricultural lands. The report mentioned that the units were not in operation. The unit authorities reported that due to lack of export orders, operation had stopped since February 2020.

Some of the findings of the Joint Committee: 

• The coir units were using bore well water for their domestic and coir manufacturing process.
• There were no villages except a small homestead namely Poiraiyagoundanvalasu located within 50 meters radius of the coir units.
• The unit's locations were surrounded by dry lands in all the directions.
• The units have provided water sprinkling arrangements in the decorticator section and the disintegrator section was enclosed with wooden sheets.
• The units have provided collection cum recycling tank for the collection and reuse of excess water from coconut husk wetting section and water sprinkling section.
• Among the five units, two units are involved in coir brick/blocks manufacturing activity. These two units does not use water for its manufacturing process. Hence, trade effluent does not arise.
• The analysis reports of samples taken from the other three coir industries indicated that there was no significant contribution of organic pollutants and lignin in the waste water.
• The results of the lab study carried out with the coir pith revealed that there was no major contribution of TDS by the pith to the water.