Page 185 - CW E-Magazine (19-3-2024)

Special Report

of some political parties and a section logists and managers get no media CIL, the ammonia gas leak happened
of the media, who want this chemi- space, even if they want to speak out due to reasons beyond the control of the
cal factory to be closed, unmindful of their case. The media, highlights the unit, and it is recognised as a unit with
the consequences of closure. They are protests, but rarely provides space to good shop-fl oor management practices.
demanding closure even without a proper members of the chemical industry to
and competent study of the underlying explain their stand. Industries in TN It appears that the agitators target
reasons for the ammonia gas leak. silently face the unjustifi ed onslaught of the chemical industry selectively, even
being described as violators of environ- as they ignore several accidents taking
Due to the above, there is now mental norms. place in other sectors routinely, such
genuine concern amongst discerning as in thermal power plants, and fi re
observers whether these so-called envi- Closures help no one’s cause cracker units in Sivakasi and Virudhu-
ronmentalists would target other units Due to the closure of Sterlite nagar region, some of which are much
in coming days. If so, which unit would Copper, thousands of direct and indirect more ghastly than what happened in
be the next victim in Tamil Nadu? employees have lost their jobs and CIL. Road, rail and air accidents do
in the unfortunate event of CIL being happen but agitators do not demand
Where is the voice of chemical forced to close, a similar fate awaits automobile, rail or plane operations
industry? thousands more. be scrapped! Why the a different yard-
The agitators get huge media space, stick for the chemical industry? Any
as they sensationalise the issues. How- The government, which bows to environmental issue arising in the
ever, the technologists, engineers and mob pressure, perhaps due to vote bank chemical industry should not be seen
managers associated with the chemical politics, has done nothing to rehabili- as a reason for closure, as these help
industries, who are no less concerned tate those who have lost their jobs, leav- no one’s cause. Obviously, causes of
about the environmental issues, remain ing their families high and dry. The TN mishaps have to be ascertained and
largely silent, as helpless spectators. government also does not also seem to remedial steps be initiated to the
be concerned about the economic loss extent necessary.
Associations and other bodies re- to the nation due to such closures.
presenting the industry seem to be scared These closures are bad for the
of environmentalists, due to their mob The chemical industry is conscious industrial climate, economic stability
strength. While agitators get media of the need to ensure clean environ- and job scenario in TN. Activists, who
space for whatever accusations they mental conditions. In the case of Sterlite call themselves environmentalists,
level, without any verifi cation of the Copper, such conditions were main- need to be more responsible and more
veracity of such accusations, techno- tained reasonably well. In the case of knowledgeable!

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