The DMK government of Tamil Nadu is expected to come out with an amicable solution to satisfy all the stakeholders?dyers,exporters and farmers alike ? of the ongoing Tirupur dyeing units crisis on Tuesday.
The package is expected to include bringing all the aggrieved parties together so that the farmers’ association, which ahs lodged he case is pursuaded to allow the dyeing units to let the effluents flow provided those confirm to the CPCB prescribed norm of 2,100 TDS (total dissolved salt) level in letter and spirit. In addition the farmers’ association will also get immediate disbursal of compensation as announced earlier and due over the years, said government sources here.
The long term plans include setting up an expert committee including people with legal and technical knowledge, besides farmers representatives to see whether the dyeing units can achieve a zero liquid discharge level. The state government will also look out options to link the dyeing units with nearby sea coast to discharge the effluents, the government sources maintained.
A Sakthivel, President of Tirupur Exporters Association said any delay in finding amicable solution among the aggrieved parties will hit the entire industry hard. The entire industrial complex of the area is under threat if the dyeing units have to close as per the High Court order of last week. ?Having failed in our efforts to meet the strictures made by Madras High Court on attaining zero liquid discharge (ZLD) despite huge investments made into CETPs/Individual ETPs and evaporator technologies in the last few years, it is for the state government to come out with a suitable solution which will satisfy all the stakeholders of this Rs 20,000-crore industry,? said S Samiappan, president of Dyers Association of Tirupur (DAT).
“Following the court order, almost all the 40,000 workers of 730-odd units have left Tirupur to their hometowns. It takes at least a week to 10 days to bring our activities to a normal level if the government finds an amicable solution between the aggrieved parties on Tuesday,” said Shanmuga Sundaram, director of Dyers Assocaition of Tirupur (DAT). As entire workforce of dyening units belong to neighbouring districts of the state including from Theni, Madurai, Trichy, Tiruvannamalai among other places, he pointed out.
?We are willing to talk to the farmers’ association again to settle issues amicably as well as to ensure early resumption of our units. Our objective is to find out solutions to the satisfaction level of all,? Samiappan reiterated. ?We have lost more Rs 50 crore business ever since we closed down our shutters a few days ago,? he added. According to S Krishnamoorthy and S Shankar, owners of individual dyeing units, ?Gone were the days when people come to Tirupur to seek jobs. Now we have to go places to bring youngsters for our dyeing units.? The industry may face shortage of skilled manpower going forward if problems continue to persist, they added.
