Chemical units told to deposit Rs 36 crore for ecology loss

Chennai, Dec 22 (UNI) Madras High Court today directed bleaching and dyeing units in Coimbatore, Erode and Karur to deposit Rs 36 crores as compensation towards ecology loss.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Mr Justice K Chandru gave the directive while passing interim orders on a petition iled by Noyyal River Ayacuttars Association, seeking to restrain the units from letting out effluents into Orathupalayam Dam.

The judges posted further hearing on the petition to the first week of February, 2007.

The Bench directed the units to deposit a sum of Rs 22.20 crore, being the balance amount of total compensation of Rs 24 crore awarded by the Loss of Ecology Authority in its award dated December 17, 2004. This amount was payable in two equal instalments. The first instalment should be payable on or before February 28, 2007 and the second on or before April 30, 2007. Of the Rs 24 crores, the units had already deposited 1.80 crores.

The bench also directed the units to pay an ad hoc amount of Rs 12 crore towards ecology loss for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The units were also directed to deposit the balance amount of Rs 8.5 crore for cleaning and desilting of Orathupalayam Dam, to be conducted by the PWD in two equal instalments as mentioned above.

The bench granted time till July 31, 2007, to the Common Effluent Treatment Plants to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) subject to some conditions.

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