Madras HC dismissed plea to stop Tamirabarani water supply to soft drink units

Madurai, Jun 27: The Madras High Court dismissed a plea seeking a ban on the supply of Tamirabarani river water to 22 industrial units, including that of soft drink majors PepsiCo and Coca Cola, in Tirunelveli district.

Justices T S Sivagnanam and G Velmurugan of the Madurai bench of the high court dismissed the plea for stopping water supply to the 22 units at the Industrial Growth Centre in Gangaikondan. The Small Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) supplies water to the units.

The judges said the petitioner, Raghavan, had not produced any material before the court to substantiate his charge that farming operations in Tuticorin district, where drought prevailed, would be affected if water was supplied to the units.

The court had earlier dismissed another plea seeking to stay water supply to PepsiCo and Coca Cola on the ground that scientific proof had not been produced before it that drinking water needs and farming requirement had been affected.

PTI