Residents of Periyakuppam and Chinnakuppam villages in Ennore persisted in their protests for the permanent closure of Coromandel International Limited, three days after an ammonia leak from the company’s gas pipeline. Nearly 200 residents demonstrated outside the company premises, questioning the safety measures and demanding its shutdown.
In response, Coromandel stated that a high-powered expert committee had approved their emergency response actions and instructed the resumption of operations after thorough inspections to ensure the safety of the ammonia pipeline and systems. Despite this, representatives from 32 villages, part of the Ennore People’s Protection Group, plan to stage a demonstration on Saturday, reinforcing their resolution for the permanent closure of the unit and intending to file an official complaint against the company.
Tensions escalated as protestors raised concerns about potential police actions and interference with the ongoing case against the company. Notably, TNPCB’s post-leak inspection revealed ammonia levels in the air five times higher than standard levels, raising questions about the adequacy of the safety measures taken by Coromandel during the incident.