‘Pollution is choking us’

K. Devendran, 50, of East Street, Puthiyamputhur, a vegetable vendor, says, “The leakage of obnoxious smoke from the Sterlite Copper plant had caused breathing difficulties, and many people are living with excruciating pain in their legs.” People here also allege that their bones were weakening because of industrial pollution.

A construction worker, S. Ganesan, 39, of the Ayya Reddiyur village said effluents from the plant were spoiling the soil and groundwater. With their drinking water contaminated, people had to spend ₹10 for a pot of water, he added, alleging, “Many persons here are being treated for cancer caused by the industrial pollution.”

M. Kannan, 25, from A. Kumareddiyarpuram, said the water in the village had become acidic and turned light yellow in colour, and that smoke from the plant was causing suffocation.

“Many children here are being taken to paediatric doctors at least once in a week for some complication or the other. This has become a regular phenomenon in most of the houses surrounding the plant, as children suffer from chronic coughing,” he said.

However, M. Velraj, a farmer from Puthiyamputhur, suspected an ulterior motive behind the protest by the people of A. Kumareddiyarpuram village.