Evolve strategy to end effluent discharge problem in Tirupur

Tirupur: The Central and State Governments should evolve a long-term strategy to permanently end the industrial effluent discharge problem in the Tirupur knitwear cluster, according to AITUC State president and former MP K. Subbarayan.

He told reporters here that first, both the governments should take steps to end the dyeing units’ strike by extending financial assistance to them to offset the capital expenditure of Rs. 803.42 crore incurred on setting up 20 Common Effluent Treatment Plants embedded with zero liquid discharge systems.

“While the State Government should extend a grant to the tune of 15 per cent of the capital cost, the Central Government should bear 60 per cent in order to reduce the financial burden on the small and medium scale dyeing units,” he said.

He pointed out that continuous suspension of works by dyeing units would severely affect the apparel production, since dyeing was an integral process in the manufacturing chain. Hence, any drastic reduction in apparel production would have a cascading effect on the jobs of lakhs of migrant workers in the cluster.

“Mass retrenchment will, thus, spell a serious social impact in the State,” he said.

Mr. Subbarayan said that a durable solution to the effluent discharge problem should take into consideration the wellbeing of all stakeholders situated alongside River Noyyal including the farmers.

“As an everlasting solution, the Centre should come forward with a project to discharge the effluents generated from here into the sea after completing the primary treatment in the cluster itself,” he said.

This, according to him, will avoid polluting the marine ecology.

From THE HINDU