VILLUPURAM: In an attempt to express their discontent against the district administration and the State government for not shutting down a hazardous medical waste processing factory, over 800 voters from Vedampattu boycotted the elections on Friday. Listening to their demands, the officials concerned sent a notice to the factory management, however, too little time was left for the villagers to reach the polling station, leaving most unable to vote.
The district administration promised the villagers of action, however, they demanded the factory operations cease immediately. A villager, D Mariamma (43), said that the toxic wastes from the factory are polluting nearby bodies of water and the burning of medical wastes caused them to develop severe respiratory issues. "I have lost 10 cows and 15 goats, which had drunk water from a pond near the factory," she said, urging immediate closure of the factory before a human life is lost.
The villagers claimed that the pollutants led to ten women developing uterine diseases, with five more having undergone hysterectomy. S Vasanthi (45), another villager, said that women under 45 years of age have developed uterus and ovary-related ailments in the last few years. "I was recently diagnosed with a cyst in my uterus and the medication is causing side effects like thyroid," said Vasanthi, who had lost her husband, Shankar, a couple of years ago. He reportedly died of asphyxiation, after inhaling toxic gases while he was desilting a pond under the MG-NREGA scheme.
Following an inspection, official sources said that the factory had a poorly maintained Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) sensor and the management was allegedly involved in burning waste during the night. The district environmental engineer issued a show cause notice to the factory management, demanding a response by April 23. By the time the summon was issued, though, it was too late for the voters to reach the polling station.