The
Hindu: Coimbatore: Wednesday, September 04, 2019.
Pollution
Control Board says in reply to an RTI application
At
a time when a people's movement is gaining momentum highlighting the
environmental impact of the brick kilns in Thadagam valley in Coimbatore, the
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has said in reply to a query under
the Right to Information (RTI) Act that it had not issued permits to any of the
kilns.
K.
Manivannan, District Environmental Engineer (Coimbatore North), gave the RTI
reply to S. Ganesh of Thadagam, one of the members of the people's movement
demanding a ban of red earth mining in the valley, which falls in the Palakkad
gap of the Western Ghats, contributing much to the salubrious climate of
Coimbatore.
Mr.
Ganesh said that the reply from the TNPCB came as a shock as residents of five
panchayats namely Thadagam, Nanjundapuram, 24 Veerapandi, Pannimadai and
Somaiyampalayam were suffering pollution caused by 200-odd brick kilns which
are being operational within an area of 45 sq.km.
“An
IAS officer with a clean record should be appointed as a committee to inquire
into the plundering of red earth in the valley, which has been going on for
several decades without any restriction.
The
inquiry should cover whether these brick manufacturing units were operating
with all due licences and compliance of various rules. It should also check the
environmental impact caused by the mining in the valley and the impact on the
health of 40,000-odd people living in the five panchayats,” he said.
He
alleged that several owners of the brick kilns had bought houses away from the
five panchayats where pollution in the form of dust particles and smoke
emanating from the kilns was high.
As
per a 2013 study titled “Thadagam - Valley of brick kilns, lost river and
disturbed wildlife” by EIA Resource and Response Centre, bricks are fired to a
temperature of 700-1,100 degree Celsius, requiring a large amount of fuel.
“Combustion
of coal and other biomass fuels in brick kilns results in the emission of
suspended particulate matter (PM 2.5), including black carbon and gaseous
pollutants like sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon
monoxide.
The
emission of these pollutants has an adverse effect on the health of workers,
local atmosphere and vegetation around the kilns”, says the study.
Environmental
activist K. Mohanraj said that the TNPCB should have sealed brick kilns if they
had not given permission. “With such a major violation done by the authority,
all the units which functioned illegally should be sealed immediately. Power to
such units should also be disconnected,” he said.
Though
contacted, Mr. Manivannan did not comment on the RTI reply.
.JPG)
.JPG)
