Ennore residents demand permanent closure of fertilizer unit

Residents of 33 villages in Chennai stage road roko demanding permanent closure of a private fertilizer unit.

Residents of 33 villages in and around Ennore staged a road roko on Tuesday demanding the permanent closure of a private fertilizer unit at Periyakuppam.

The protesters said they were unhappy with the recent directive that a compensation be imposed in connection with the ammonia gas leak in December 2023 and that the company conduct a safety audit before restarting the plant.

Shops downed their shutters, and autorickshaws and buses were not allowed to ply on the road. The protest lasted till around 2 p.m., after which the people left.

“With our protests we have managed to keep the company shut for 42 days now. Today, the protest was to stress the need to shut down the company as the case relating to the gas leak on the night of December 26, 2023 was to come up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The hearing, however, has been posted to a later date,” he said.

Residents of several hamlets, including Periyakuppam, Chinnakuppam, Nettukuppam, and Thalangkuppam, were affected due to the ammonia leak in the pipeline.

Community leader K. Bharathi said the recommendations of the committee were unacceptable. “We want that unit to be moved out or shut down. That day, the level of ammonia in the air was well over the permissible limits. It is unacceptable that a mere change of pipeline and installation of sensors will keep us safe. The stipulations provided are those that are provided to any industry when it is set up,” he said. Fishermen of the 33 villages have been staging a continuous protest against the company.