Move to establish Sipcot industrial estate in Namakkal district: Protesting farmers submit petition to DRO

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AMAKKAL: Farmers on Tuesday submitted a petition to Namakkal district revenue officer (DRO) Dr Suman opposing the construction of a Sipcot industrial estate in Mohanur taluk.The Tamil Nadu govt has started efforts to develop a Sipcot industrial estate on 885 acres of land covering Vangapatti, N Pudupatti and Aroor villages. Currently, soil tests are taking place at the proposed site.Farmers led by the Vivasaya Munnetra Kazhagam are voicing their concerns about the effects of the Sipcot industrial estate on agricultural land. They have been holding protests for the past 425 days. They oppose setting up of an industrial estate near the Cauvery river.

They fear that the untreated water from the factories would affect their fertile land which is being irrigated by water from the Cauvery river. On receiving the petition from the farmers, DRO Dr Suman assured them that they would look into their concerns."We demanded that the govt not establish a Sipcot industrial estate in the area. We requested officials to allow us to meet deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin who is scheduled to visit Namakkal on Wednesday to attend a govt event," a farmer said.