THOOTHUKUDI: After repeated complaints of foul smell emanating from three fish meal and fish oil manufacturing companies in Pottaloorani village, the district administration has assigned panchayat officials to monitor operations of the companies round the clock. However, agitations against these fish processing companies by the Pottaloorani villagers entered the 176th day on Wednesday.
Sources said, three private companies producing fish meal and fish oil namely — NPM Associates at Chettimallanpatti, Marksmen Aquatic Products and Jenefa India — were functioning in Vadakku Karaseri. However, they are in a fix as residents of Pottaloorani belonging to Ellainayakkanpatti panchayat, complained of discomfort due to foul smell. These companies extract fish meal and fish oil in large quantities from bycatch fishes.
According to the executive order of the Srivaikuntam tasildar, the staff including VAOs and village assistants of Ellainayakkanpatti, Vadakku Karaseri, Chekkarakudi 1, and Deivaseyalpuram will monitor operations of the companies 24 hours duly in three shifts. The staff was instructed to monitor and report on the odour generating companies at 6 am, 8 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm and 10 pm. The report on foul odour must be generated until further orders, the order said.
Previously, villagers repeatedly complained about the discomfort in the last four years. The groundwater, air, and land had been spoilt due to discharge from these units. Since, the district administration remained tight-lipped on the issues, Pottaloorani villagers boycotted the parliamentary elections on April 19.
The subsequent visit of the fisheries minister to the village resulted in a violent clash. The villagers began an indefinite agitation to shut down the units on May 15. They passed resolutions against the units in a parallel grama sabha meeting on August 15.
Due to his participation in agitation against private companies, Sankaranarayanan, a government school teacher was transferred to Tiruvannamalai district from Thirunelveli. Sankaranarayanan, one of the organisers of the agitation, said that monitoring the companies without including members of the agitation group would not be fruitful.
The companies predominantly emanate foul odor after 11 pm as they boil fishes in the late hours, however the tasildar's order did not schedule reporting time between 10 pm and 6 am, Sankaranarayanan noted.
A senior official opined that while there are specific instruments for measuring and recording the pollution in water, air and land, there is no instrument for recording the level of foul odour.
NPM Associates produces 200 tonnes of fish meal per day, and 40 tonnes of fish oil per day.
Marksmen Aquatic Products produces 50 tonnes of fish meal per day and 20 tonnes of fish oil per day.
Jenefa India manufactures 63 tonnes of fish meal per day and 13 tonnes of fish oil per day.
Given that farmers of the village cultivate in at least 4,000 acres of rain-fed agricultural land during north-east monsoon, the leaders of the agitation demanded an interim suspension of the companies during the rabi season. However, the district administration refused to agree.
