Tamil Nadu: Green activists oppose proposed ethanol manufacturing unit in Karur

TIRUCHY: Environmental activists from Tiruchy and Karur approached the Karur Collector on Monday appealing to withdraw the public hearing for the setting up of Karnataka based ethanol manufacturing unit at Kumaramangalam, situated between Karur and Tiruchy and stressed that the factory would turn the wetland into barren as the unit would consume at least 1 TMC of water annually.

The leaders from various environmental associations including Tamil Nadu Environmental Protection Movement, Cauvery River Protection Movement, Federation of Environmental Protection and Movement against Illegal Quarries approached the Karur district collector C Muthukumaran, and submitted a petition to cancel the public hearing for the ethanol manufacturing unit at Kumaramangalam scheduled today (Tuesday) as the proposed project has been opposed unanimously by the villagers during the gram sabha meeting held on August 15.

The activists pointed out that the upcoming the Karnataka based ‘Green Energy Pure Ethanol Private Limited’ which has selected 35 acres of wet land at Kumaramangalam between Kulithalai in Karur and Pettavaithalai in Tiruchy districts would need a minimum of 37 lakh litre per day which would be at least 1 TMC water annually, the quantity that used to be stored in Mayanur barrage.

“While Karnataka government fails to distribute due share of water to Tamil Nadu, our state is getting ready to entertain a factory from Karnataka that would use water from the region and it would certainly pollute the water bodies and turn the wetlands into barren”, said, advocate N Shanmugam, Coordinator, Movement against illegal quarries.

Shanmugam also stated that the subject was discussed during the gram sabha meeting on August 15and all the participants opposed it and passed a resolution against the project. “Since the gram sabha meeting opposed the unit, it is naturally invalid to conduct a public hearing, and so we urged the district collector to cancel the meeting and save agriculture in the region”, he said.

He also said, while Tamil Nadu has been struggling for water for drinking and irrigating, it is not convincing to give water to the Karnataka-based firm and permit them to function in Tamil Nadu, which would only destroy the environment.