Dyeing hub pollutes area, kills itself

An 84-year old farmer’s court injunction has converted a booming export hub into a ghost town, causing exports to plummet and businesses to relocate.

Dressed in a loincloth, a frail-looking 84-year-old AP Kandaswamy, who is a farmer and also the president of the Noyyal River Ayacutdars Protection Association, greets us with a glass of water from his well. “Don’t drink it. Just taste it,” he warns. “Drinking can be harmful for your health.” Kandaswamy takes us to his farm and shows us what remains of it. “I had 1,400 coconut trees, now none remain,” he says. “There are some with fruits, but we don’t sell them, as they can be harmful for anyone who consumes them,” he adds.

Farmers allege that the manufacturers yet completely stopped operations. “In spite of the Court order, there are still some units that continue to dye. Last week, a team from Chennai visited and sealed few units after they found that they were still dyeing,” says Kandaswamy.

A P Kandaswamy, President, Noyyal Ayacutdars Protection Association