The Indian Supreme Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay compensation over river pollution caused by tanneries and other industries.
The court said that the local tanneries are among the most responsible for discharging effluents and pollutants into the Palar river.
A committee will also be formed and led by a retired High Court Judge including state and central department secretaries, environmental experts, representatives from the affected communities and others, with the purpose of auditing the river pollution in Vellore.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has been ordered to conduct quarterly inspections of tanneries in the area to ensure they are adhering to environmental regulations.
The Supreme Court said in its judgment that the pollution has impoverished local farmers and has caused immense suffering to the local residents and tannery workers, thereby endangering public health and life.
The document read: “It would not be wrong to say that the condition of tannery workers is no better than that of manual scavengers. With a majority of workers being women, the situation is even more distressing.”
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