Two unlicensed industrial units sealed in Kovai

COIMBATORE:  The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) on Tuesday sealed two micro-industrial units in TVS Nagar near Edayarpalayam that allegedly were operating without licence.

The move came after the recent judgment by the Tamil Nadu Local Bodies Ombudsman on a complaint that the units were polluting the environment.  The owners of the units, however, alleged that civic officials did not conduct an investigation.

J James, president of the Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises, said, “There is no mandate on getting a licence for operation of the industrial units for cottage and micro units. The two units were operating for over 15 years. The person who complained of pollution does not reside close to the units.”

CCMC Commissioner (incharge) Dr M Sharmila said both the units neither possessed a D&O (Dangerous and Offensive) trade licence nor licence from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

“The issue has been going on for a long time and we had served them notice in 2020 to relocate but they sat on the order. So, based on the order, we had received in three cases from the Tamil Nadu Local Bodies Ombudsman, the three units that were being operated illegally were shut down and sealed by our officials,” she added.