A protest demanding the permanent closure of a private liquor factory near Kunnathur village in Pudukkottai district ended with the arrest of 129 people, including 27 women, after residents alleged that industrial wastewater had contaminated local groundwater and damaged crops.
The protest took place outside the factory near Viralimalai after residents said earlier representations to the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s special cell, the Pudukkottai district collector and other authorities had not led to action. According to the report, the factory has been operating in the area for more than 20 years.
Residents alleged that wastewater from the facility was being stored in a small pit dug within the factory premises. They claimed that the wastewater had seeped into the ground and affected water in agricultural wells and borewells around the facility, causing the water to change colour and making it unsuitable for farming and general use.
The residents further alleged that crops were affected when the well water was used for irrigation. They said paddy plants dried up after the water was applied, adding that the alleged contamination had made it difficult to use the wells for agricultural activity.
The protest followed the residents’ demand that authorities take action to permanently shut the factory. Viralimalai tahsildar Jeyabharathi and police officials held discussions with the protesters, but an agreement was not reached, the report said.
Police subsequently arrested 129 protesters and took them to a private marriage hall in Avur. The group included 27 women. All those arrested were released later in the evening, according to the report.
Mathur police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. The report does not state whether an official water-quality test, environmental inspection or independent assessment of the residents’ contamination allegations has been completed.
The incident places the focus on the administrative response to complaints involving industrial wastewater, groundwater and agricultural land. Any determination of the alleged pollution and its source would require inspection and testing by the relevant authorities. The immediate next step reported is the police investigation; no closure order or enforcement action against the factory was reported.
