Dyeing units strike enters second day

Tirupur, Jan 2 (UNI) About 700 dyeing and bleaching units, which had started an indefinite strike yesterday entered the second day today and around 35,000 workers working in these units are becoming jobless here.

The Dyers Association of Tirupur (DAT) had taken the decision to go on strike was a sequel to the Madras High Court's order to the units to pay penalty varying from 6 to 10 paise per litre to the court for discharging effluents.

DAT General Secretary S Samiyaran today told UNI that only state governments could solve this problem as they could not run the units by paying the penalty as per the court direction.

As soon as the High Court verdict was delivered, some of the association executive members met the government officials at Chennai and informed their position. "We expect the government would interfere and provide time without penalty", he added.

Asked about any other solution, he said they had proposed a plan to discharge these effluents to the sea after treating them. The government would also constitute an expert committeee to verify how the effluent water had been managed in other countries, he added.

He said the installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) work had completed about 60 to 70 per cent as per Tamil Nadu pollution control board norms.

UNI