Despite strong protests by villagers over environmental issues, the work has started for Southern District Textile Processing Cluster Private Limited and New Industrial Park at Kariapatti (Tamil Nadu).
The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the industrial park, which is spread over 104 acres, was done by State Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami through video conferencing.
Planned for around 36 textile dyeing and processing units, the project is getting 50 per cent subsidy from the Centre and 25 per cent subsidy from the State Government.
Notably, the expected investment in this park is about Rs. 200 crore.
The villagers are of the view that it is not a textile park but only a dyeing unit that has the history of harming the environment, groundwater and livelihood of people and farmers everywhere.
Ritan N. Thakker, CMD of the Park told Apparel Resources, “Protest is politically motivated as only few villagers are against the project. We are following all laws so can’t do anything more.” He further added that the project is pending since last 5 years and is expected to be complete in a year.
Some of the main companies investing in this project, are Jasmine Towels, Selvaraj Textiles, KVP Exports etc.
Project Director of the cluster K.R. Gnanasambandan claimed “It will be a zero-discharge unit. While 95 per cent of effluent will be recycled, the remaining will be allowed to evaporate without harming the environment.”
Park officials claim that the project had got no objection certificate from Environmental Impact Assessment Authority.
The villagers plan to further launch a series of protests after discussing at length with people of other villages and are also planning legal intervention in this regard.
“The villagers alleged that police had swooped down in various villages of the region early morning and kept people under their custody fearing that they could disrupt the video-conferencing event that was held at the Kariyapatti Union Office near the bus stand,” says a leading English daily.
Tamil Nadu is one of the biggest textile and apparel hubs of India and Kariapatti is a town in the district of Virudhunagar. Over the years, nearly 100 dyeing units were closed down in and around Madurai, and so this cluster with a common treatment facility is very much required for the industry.
