COIMBATORE: Two illegal chemical units at Thirumalaiyampalayam in Coimbatore were sealed after they were found to be procuring large quantities of subsidised urea, processing it into a paste and transporting it to Kerala. The department also recommended to the district administration that the units be suspended, said sources.
Officials said the units were obtaining neem-coated urea, meant for farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana in Karnataka, and converting it into formaldehyde resin.
The resin is used as a strong and cost-effective adhesive and binder in plywood, automobile and electrical component manufacturing. With plywood units in Kerala needing such binding material in bulk, the operators were illegally diverting urea from Karnataka and processing it in border areas of Coimbatore for easy transport to Kerala.
The malpractice came to light after local farmers, who have been struggling to get urea, noticed huge stocks of the raw material being stored at a particular location and alerted the authorities.
During inspection, it was also found that the units were discharging untreated chemical wash liquid directly in the ground. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has issued notices to the units for operating without permission and for not setting up an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).
The agriculture department, which sealed the units on Saturday, is investigating how they managed to procure subsidised urea in such large quantities.
The district coordination committee headed by the district collector has ordered the disconnection of electricity to both units, according to the officials.
A massive quantity of central government-subsidised Neem-coated urea, estimated at 60 to 100 tonnes, was seized from the two warehouse networks in Thirumalaiyampalayam Town Panchayat area on Saturday.