KOCHI: For them it’s a hard life - battling illness, pollution and the callous attitude of the authorities. The residents of Eloor have been fighting industrial pollution for decades, but in vain. 72-year-old Lakshmikutty Amma is a living example of the hardship faced by the people of Eloor. The left side of her face is completely disfigured by a tumour. “We have been living here for quite a long time. It was after these companies started polluting the water and soil here that the health problems started,’’ says her daughter Sheela.
Eloor, an island in the Periyar River, hardly 20 km from the city, is virtually an ecological hotspot. Industrial pollution from more than 200 companies has transformed this small village into a literal graveyard.
The smell of DDT and other unknown chemicals greets you as you enter this place. Dark and dirty water flows through streams and canals in the panchayat. Almost all the houses have at least one member suffering from chronic health problems including asthma, respiratory illness, urinary tract infections, nausea and vomiting, allergies and skin diseases, visual and hearing impairment, learning disabilities, muscular ailments and menstrual and uterus problems. Recently many cancer cases were also reported from the area. It was in the early 90s that the world started identifying the gravity of industrial pollution in the Eloor- Edamalayar belt where currently about 260 companies are operating. In the late 90s the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi (PMVS) brought the issue before the international community.
Though the Industrial Department recently conducted a study into the issue and announced a health insurance package benefiting more than 13,400 people in 337 families, nothing has materialised so far. “Nearly 100 companies here can cause industrial pollution.
About 36 of them have the potential to pollute the Periyar and cause some major trouble. Public sector companies including the three divisions of the FACT, IRE, TCC and HIL are on the list.
Merchem and Binani Zinc are two private sector companies which contribute to the pollution,’’ pointed out Purushan Eloor of PMVS.
It has been pointed out that Hindustan Insecticides Ltd (HIL), which produces DDT and endosulphan, is a major threat to the locals. The pollution control measures are least effective in many places, locals said. “My 31-yearold daughter started suffering from respiratory complaints at the age of 10.
How can people live here with polluted air and contaminated water?’’ asks Pushpa who lives near the Kuzhikandam creek into which the HIL, FACT, IRE and Merchem let out their effluents.
A recent study by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee showed that the level of zinc, iron, lead and cadmium is more than the permitted quantity in the soil here. Another study showed the presence of toxic content in eggs.
Life is hell for people in the Eloor- Edamalayar region. Apart from the time-to-time inspections and warnings, the Pollution Control Board does little to find a solution to the issue.
As we observe yet another Environment Day, spare a thought for the residents of Eloor. If the authorities do not take any action to mitigate their woes, Eloor could be the next major environment tragedy in the world.
kochi@epmltd.com