CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has served a show-cause notice to Tata Electronics’ manufacturing facility in Krishnagiri district, which produces components for Apple’s iPhones, for alleged violations of wastewater management norms. TNPCB stated that wastewater was being discharged into an open channel linked to nearby waterbodies and agricultural fields, leading to contamination concerns in farmlands and groundwater sources.
On May 27, TNIE published a report titled ‘Treated effluent from pvt unit pollutes farmland, well: Farmers’, highlighting complaints from farmers about treated sewage discharge from the unit near Hosur polluting their farmland and water sources. Krishnagiri District Collector C Dinesh Kumar had told TNIE that TNPCB had already served a show-cause notice to the Tata unit, while the company management staff said they would offer an explanation regarding the contamination issue.
Meanwhile, TNPCB said it conducted inspections between December 2025 and May 2026, including sampling from a rainwater harvesting pond within the plant. Laboratory analysis reportedly showed elevated levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total dissolved solids (TDS). BOD levels were recorded between 12 mg/litre and 78 mg/litre, COD between 48 mg/litre and 160 mg/litre, and TDS between 1,916 mg/litre and 2,450 mg/litre.
The board said these levels were significantly higher than what is typically present in rainwater, indicating possible contamination from treated or untreated industrial effluents. The regulator also flagged the possibility of overflow from the pond affecting groundwater in the vicinity, and alleged that certain corrective measures suggested during earlier inspections had not been fully implemented. Citing provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, TNPCB directed Tata Electronics to submit its explanation within 15 days and detail the remedial measures taken.
A Tata Electronics spokesperson said the company remained committed to environmental compliance and had commissioned an independent laboratory analysis, which it claims confirmed full adherence to regulatory norms. The findings have been shared with TNPCB, the spokesperson added.