Pepsi supplier guzzling ground water, claim farmers

Pepsi supplier guzzling ground water, claim farmers

Farmers of Sooriyur in Tiruverumbur here have complained that excess drawing of water by two companies used as outsourcing units by a multi-national soft drinks firm was depleting the water table in the area.

A petition was submitted by the farmers to  District Revenue Officer T Thiagarajan here on Monday regarding this. Farmers led by Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam district Secretary Masilamani said the farmers of Periya Sooriyur, Chinna Sooriyur, Veerampatti Pattaveli and Unavayal cultivate their land on about 1,100 acres utilising well irrigation which is the main source of water.

They charged that two companies - LA Bottlers Private Limited and TBS Mineral Water Service - situated at Periya Sooriyur are sucking huge volumes of ground water using two giant bore wells. They claimed that LA Bottlers Private Limited is used as an outsourcing unit for production of soft drinks for multi national company, Pepsi. This company has been sucking water for 20 hours a day and has been manufacturing about 50 lakh litres of soft drinks per day.

Similarly, TBS Mineral Water Service has been using up one lakh litres of drinking water every day, they alleged.

While sucking of huge volumes of water depletes the ground water level, the companies were also draining the effluents through irrigation canals which affect the environment as well as the quality of ground water, the farmers claimed. They appealed to the DRO to inspect their locality and cancel the licences for the companies so that farmers who depend on  the ground water would be protected, they said.

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