Panel to help reopen closed textiles units in Tirupur

The Centre today set up a committee with representatives from the Tamil Nadu government and the industry to find a solution for reopening the textiles units in Tirupur, which have been closed on court orders for failing to meet the water pollution norms.

Textiles Secretary Rita Menon, who visited Chennai today, held discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Debendranath Sarangi and industry officials in this regard.

"The panel will try and find a solution to the problem," an industry official said after the meeting.

Menon will head the committee which will have Sarangi and officers of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

Besides, representatives of the garment manufacturers would also be there on the panel.

As many as 730 units have remained shut since January on orders from the Madras High Court. Their closure was ordered as the units, doing bleaching and dyeing work, were found to be polluting the water in the area.

About one lakh workers, both directly and indirectly employed in the apparel hub near Coimbatore, have been rendered jobless because of the closure of the units,  Tirupur Exporters' Association President A Shaktivel has said.

Even setting up of 18 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) did not prove useful as achieving zero water pollution was not viable.

These CETPs were set up with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. Of the total funding, the Centre had given a grant of Rs 200-350 crore while the state government had contributed Rs 150 crore.

However, industry feels achieving zero pollution is not possible as it would push up the products' cost.

Though India's apparel exports achieved a high growth rate of 52% in May, the shipments would have been much higher if the production of knitwear in Tirupur was not hurt, the industry said.

"Tirupur would make a difference of USD 250 million (in apparel exports) per quarter," Tirupur Exporters' Association President A Shaktivel has said.