Farmers from Appanaickenpatti and Karadivavi villages in Sulur taluk, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday, 8 August raised urgent concerns over alleged air and groundwater pollution from a nearby cast iron unit. Residents claim that toxic emissions from the facility have damaged crops, threatened livelihoods, and harmed public health across the two villages for several years.

What Residents Are Alleging

According to affected farmers, smoke and foul-smelling emissions from the casting unit have made it difficult for people in surrounding agricultural areas to breathe. They allege the pollution is worst during night hours, Sundays, and government holidays — periods when regulatory oversight is reportedly minimal.

Residents have reported a range of health complaints including eye, nose, and throat irritation, persistent coughing, sore throat, and psychological distress. They also allege that livestock deaths have occurred in the area as a result of prolonged exposure.

Farmers Detail Crop and Financial Losses

Farmer P. Ramakrishnan said agricultural activities in the locality had been severely disrupted and that groundwater sources had also become contaminated. 'Our crops are being destroyed because of the toxic emissions. Groundwater has also been affected, and we are unable to breathe freely. We have submitted several petitions to government authorities, but no permanent solution has been provided,' he said.

Ramakrishnan also alleged that land brokers were pressuring farmers to sell their agricultural properties, compounding the distress of families dependent on farming.

Another farmer, Sundara Pandyan, who cultivates tomato and chilli on three acres located approximately 200 metres from the industrial unit, said his crops had repeatedly withered over the past decade during heavy emission events. He noted that farmers spend around ₹50,000 per acre on cultivation, and that repeated crop damage had resulted in substantial financial losses.

'Officials from the Pollution Control Board and Revenue Department visit the area whenever we submit petitions, but the problem continues without any lasting remedy,' Pandyan said.

Broader Impact on Land and Trees

Farmers further alleged that industrial emissions had damaged trees on agricultural land, reducing property values and repeatedly disrupting cultivation cycles. They said years of representations to multiple government departments had failed to produce any durable solution.

What Farmers Are Demanding

The affected residents have urged the Coimbatore district administration and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to conduct a thorough investigation and take immediate steps to curb the alleged emissions. They have also called for urgent measures to prevent further contamination of groundwater and to protect the health, agricultural land, and livelihoods of residents in Appanaickenpatti and Karadivavi.

This comes amid growing scrutiny of industrial pollution in peri-urban agricultural zones across Tamil Nadu, where rapid industrialisation has placed farming communities under increasing environmental stress. Whether the authorities will act decisively — or offer another round of visits without resolution — remains to be seen.