15-05-2025
Effluent treatment plant at dyeing unit in Cuddalore SIPCOT collapses, flooding neighbourhood; 19 hospitalised
An effluent treatment plant (ETP), located on the premises of a dyeing unit in Cuddalore SIPCOT, collapsed in the early hours of Thursday (May 15, 2025), scattering debris and flooding houses in the vicinity of the unit in Kudikadu Colony.
As many as 19 persons, mostly residents of Kudikadu Colony, suffered health complications, such as irritation in the eyes, nausea, and sudden sapping of energy. They were admitted to the Cuddalore Government General Hospital.
The ETP, built to treat 6 lakh litres of wastewater from the dyeing unit and mounted on a structure, gave away at around 3.30 a.m. Though the workers were spared from the deluge that followed, it damaged the compound wall located near the ETP and flooded 20 houses.
Eyewitnesses said the fumes from the effluents densely enveloped the area, spreading panic among the residents.
Official sources said the condition of the affected residents was stable and they would be kept under observation for a day. 'We will carry out a probe to ascertain the probable causes behind the incident,' an official said.
Following the incident, people in the neighbourhood blocked traffic on the Cuddalore-Chidambaram Road, urging the authorities to take stern measures against the company management.
The district administration acted swiftly to contain the fallout. Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar said officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) were at the spot to investigate the incident.
Temporary closure of unit recommended
As many as 19 residents have been admitted to the Cuddalore GH with minor ailments, and their condition is stable. A temporary closure of the unit has been recommended in the interest of public safety. Work to clean the debris and the wastewater that had flooded the houses has begun. A medical team has also been stationed at the village to address the issue, he said.
According to T. Arulselvam, coordinator of SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors (SACEM): 'It is a matter of concern that there is no let-up in accidents in SIPCOT. There is a need to review basic safety measures and non-conduct of safety audit at industrial units. Had the dyeing unit conducted an off-site mock drill, the incident's impact could have been minimised. The district administration should ensure adequate compensation to the affected as mandated under the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.'
