CHENNAI: Air pollution caused allegedly by a few textile factories functioning in Kelambakkam has led to health issues for the local residents. The matter was brought to the fore in a letter dated September 5, written by Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) Dean of Studies Professor KV Subrahmanyam to Chengalpattu Collector S Arunraj, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Chairperson Dr M Jayanthi, Thiruporur MLA S S Balaji and others.
“The CMI campus, companies and communities in Kelambakkam have been troubled by the increase in release of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), especially in the evening. The issue has persisted for a year and worsened in recent months. Our investigations suggest that the pollution may originate from a manufacturing facility in Pudupakkam,” he said in the letter.
Staff, students and residents of nearby gated communities that also house many senior citizens and children, have been troubled by health impacts due to the pollution, including throat pain, breathlessness, eye irritation and vomiting. “Pediatricians have noted an increase in lung infections among children in the area,” the letter said.
While the air quality was within acceptable limits during the daytime, the quality deteriorated in the evening and nighttime. The CMI professor added that expert measurements revealed the presence of VOCs to the tune of 121 micrograms/m3 and traces of formaldehyde, both of which are health hazards. A Karthikeyan, an environmentalist assisting the residents in using hand-held devices to ascertain level of air pollutants, said formaldehyde is also a possible carcinogen.
The letter also alleged that when TNPCB actively monitors the area, the chemical gas presence disappears and returns when the scrutiny subsides. “This suggests a deliberate effort to evade detection,” it read. The residents had provided TNPCB specific information about a textile factory which they strongly suspected to be the source of pollution. Still, a permanent solution has not been implemented, the letter said, requesting authorities to address it.
TNPCB chairperson Dr M Jayanthi confirmed the receipt of the letter and said that a committee consisting of environmental scientists and senior engineers has been formed to check the issue. She declined to comment on the other specific allegations made in the letter.
TNIE had reported about the air pollution in this locality on July 11, which was causing health issues for the residents, who had then suspected the leaking gas to be ammonia. The residents had later procured hand-held devices and ascertained that the pollutants were VOC and formaldehyde.