Residents oppose godown for explosives in Tirupur village

Tirupur: Residents of Picchaikalpatti near Dharapuram are up in arms against the setting up of a godown to store explosive in their village. Recently, more than 100 villagers protested the move to set up the godown.
According to the villagers, a Trichy-based private explosive unit, which claimed 19 lives in a blast, was trying to establish the godown in the guise of another name.

The village already has a godown to store explosives. But villagers fear that the new explosive godown may start preparing explosives.

“We believe that a private company which manufactures explosive substances has opened a godown in our village. The godown would be used to store explosives used to blast rocks in stone quarries and agricultural well,” said S Duraisamy, a farmer who owns land next to the godown.

“The godown, whose owner has acquired 23 acres in the village collectively, may be turned into a factory to manufacture explosive in the future. This could be a threat to our lives. The villagers were living 184m from the godown,” he said.

He said there was possibility that the godown owner may store explosives beyond the permissible limit.

But it was alleged that the villagers were instigated by the owner of a rivalry explosives godown to protest the establishment of the new godown.

When contacted, a senior police officer said, “The new explosive godown was established with the direction of the Madras high court. But the villagers have their own apprehensions, which should be dealt with.”