CHENNAI: The Vishakapatnam gas leak and threat to the Gulf of Mannar coral reefs have prompted the Union Environment Ministry to reject a major petroleum industrial park proposal in Tamil Nadu.
The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) had submitted a proposal to set up an industrial park in Thoothukudi over a sprawling 631 hectares. The industrial park is primarily meant for the petroleum refining industry and petrochemical units. SIPCOT officials said the industrial park will boost the production of petroleum products in the state, which are currently being purchased from Gujarat and Maharashtra.
However, the problem is the location of the proposed site. The ecologically sensitive zone of Gulf of Mannar National Park is 8.33 km away. SIPCOT has filed an application for obtaining wildlife clearance from the National Board for Wildlife on March 24. The site is located inside a severely polluted area, besides being in close proximity to several residential areas.
An Expert Appraisal Committee of the ministry, which deliberated on the project in its meeting held on May 26, concluded that the "proposed location is not suitable and acceptable for establishment of the industrial park comprising highly polluting industries like petroleum refining and petrochemical complexes in an area that has already been classified as highly polluted area. The proponent (SIPCOT) is required to explore the possibility of developing such industrial park at least 25 km away from Thoothukudi town and 10 km away from any other habitation and ecologically important areas."
As per the information submitted by SIPCOT, the proposed park is in close proximity to the residential areas of Therku Veerapandiapuram, Kumara Ettaiyapuram, Kumaragiri and Nainapuram with a population of more than 15,000. "The area is within 250 metres of the proposed industrial park. Petroleum refineries and petrochemical complexes involve the storage of large quantities of hazardous and volatile chemicals that can be subject to uncontrolled releases despite the best precautions," the EAC chairman Deepak Arun Apte said.
The EAC recalled the Visakhapatnam gas leak, an industrial accident that occurred last month at the LG Polymers chemical plant in Andhra Pradesh, resulting in a vapour cloud spread over a radius of about three km, affecting the nearby areas and villages leading to irreparable loss to human life, vegetation and agriculture of the surrounding area.
Besides, the coral reefs in Gulf of Mannar are already under severe stress due to ocean acidification and temperature increase. Establishment of additional industrial activities would jeopardize the situation and put pressure on the environment. Considering these aspects, the EAC has turned down the proposal.
Other challenges
Thoothukudi with a CEPI score of above 65 is considered to be a critically polluted area and the proposed project accommodating 10 MMTPA petroleum refinery and 2 MTPA petrochemical plant essentially falls under the domain of specialized & polluting industry.
There are more than 100 industries located within the 10 km of proposed project site. As per the approved Masterplan for Thoothukudi, the lands on which SIPCOT Phase I is located are earmarked for “General Industries” and not for “Special Industries and Hazardous Use.
However, SIPCOT has allowed several large Red Category industries such as VV Minerals, Sterlite Copper and Sterlite Power to come up in areas demarcated for general industries.
No rigorous analysis of alternative sites has been carried out.