Residents irked by polluting hospital laundry unit

COIMBATORE: The residents of Park Town near Sungam in Coimbatore are up in arms against a private hospital in the vicinity which has been allegedly releasing contaminated water from its laundry units without proper treatment. Residents say that besides polluting the environment, the stench emanating from the untreated water is unbearable. They also claim that the laundry unit does not have the required approval from civic authorities.
Gayathri Mehta, president of Park Town Kudiyirupor Sangam, said residents have been protesting against the launch of GKNM Trust mechanised hospital laundry, considering the problems it is likely to cause. Even though the laundry unit management assured them they would not be affected, the unit began to release contaminated water into a canal passing through the residential area. However no action has been taken against the unit, which is operating on a property leased out by the Sreenivasa Perumal Koil, Papanaickenpalayam.
Gayathri said that the information furnished under an RTI petition filed by the town planning officer, Coimbatore Corporation, reveals that the corporation has not issued a license for running the laundry unit. The unit also does not have approval for the building plan and building tax has not been levied. No penalty has been collected as there is no property tax due on the building. The premises lacks a water supply connection and permission to dig a bore well has not been given.
In yet another RTI reply, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Circle has approved the electricity connection for the unit after a copy of the lease deed was provided. However the unit has not submitted the building approval plan and no objection certificate from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). In a reply from TNPCB dated May 29, the then public information officer K Kamaraj said that the unit was last inspected on April 19 and consent is yet to be renewed. On whether the trust produced necessary documents from the town planning department or local body to categorize it as a general industrial use zone, the TNPCB chose to remain silent.
Nearly 55,000 litres of water, which is pumped through two bore wells, is being used everyday to operate the laundry unit, said Ragunathan, a resident. Although the unit lacks the necessary approval, it has dug a bore well with which it meets its water needs. He alleged that even thought the unit claims to be treating and recycling the water to irrigate plants within the compound, it is impossible to use the treated water completely. The rest is released through various channels into the canal, he added.
"We clearly know when water is released since the stench is unbearable," said Ragunathan. Even though residents notified the relevant officials about this problem, no action has been taken. There was a time when there was no water passing through the canal. But now the canal is always filled with water which often stagnates, he added. The mosquito menace has become worse due to this.
"A few years ago, my parents suffered lung infection caused by continuously inhaling strong sulphurous odours emitted from the common drain. They are still on medication and have moved to Canada from some relief," said Vinod Antony, another resident.
When contacted, John Karunakaran, general manager, G Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital, refused to comment on the issue without prior permission from the management. However another official, who did not want to be named, said that there are plans to shift the laundry back to the hospital within three months. He also said that initially, the unit was releasing water into the canal, but now the water is being recycled for irrigation. Spreading infection is not an issue as the material is disinfected at the hospital before it reaches the laundry unit.