The residents of Sepakkam village in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu woke up to another pipe leak from a thermal power plant on Monday. Within hours, their houses were inundated with saltwater while fly ash surrounded their houses. "We can't eat as there is coal ash even in our food. Washed plates get soot or coated with ash. Sometimes these finite particles are not easily visible, we end up eating and drinking food filled with ash," said Elaiyaselvi, a resident of Sepakkam, which is located on the outskirts of north Chennai.
Pipe leaks from the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS), belonging to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) are not new to Sepakkam, which is located 12 kilometres. In fact, it has become more frequent in recent years. The rusty pipelines of the coal-fired power plant run through this village in Ennore. These pipes have been spewing effluents, salt water and fly ash (a hazardous mix of powdered coal and toxic gases) into a pond near Sepakkam for 20 years, said Sethuraman, the Kattupalli panchayat president.
The frequent pipe leaks and the accompanying fly ash have not only contaminated their food and drinking water, but have also immensely affected their health, which includes breathing difficulties, alleged residents.
The fly ash and salt water have also been causing skin allergies, resulting in long-term health complications. “Children are constantly getting skin infection and others have itchy skin. How will it be if your home is located in salt water? Our throats constantly become dry and our skin is sticky most of the time. Some have wheezing and lung problems, too,” said Elaiyaselvi.
Even in case of an emergency, the people of Sepakkam lack basic healthcare facilities. “Even for fever, we are forced to travel for half an hour in a two-wheeler to Minjur hospital (over 15 kilometres away) and our earnings are spent on the treatment. So many people have lost their lives on the way,” she said.
Following the latest pipe leak, a few residents staged a protest on Monday and said that they want to leave Sepakkam. They waded into the fly-ash pond, created to drain the sludge, to protest over the leak, and demanded the government take immediate action. The protesters said that they are unable to live amidst the rampant contamination and that the place has turned into a desert.
While there were more than 150 Dalit families in the village, it has reduced to 60, with most choosing to leave the area due to the pollution. Seppakkam’s fly ash pond gained infamy following Carnatic singer TM Krishna’s ‘Chennai poromboke padal’ video.
According to Sethuraman, the leader of Kattupalli panchayat, which comes under the jurisdiction of Sepakkam village, said, “The pipelines were set up 30 years ago and they are not being maintained properly after setting up, which could explain the constant leak. The contaminated water started mixing with water bodies, which resulted in water pollution. The government said that they will take action but they have not initiated any action as yet.”
Most residents are salt-pan workers or people involved in farming. But Sethuraman said that the fly ash has almost turned the place into an arid area, where fresh crops have not been growing properly for the last several years.
“There is no grass cover for the cattle to graze on and there is neither adequate drinking water supply nor access to clean drinking water. The water is polluted and we get clean water only for a couple of days in a week. TANGEDCO should arrange an alternate place for these residents.”
The MP from Thoothukudi and DMK women’s wing leader Kanimozhi criticised TANGEDCO for being unresponsive to the environmental hazard its coal-fired power plant has been causing in Ennore. In a tweet on Tuesday, she said, “The massive leak from the ageing pipelines carrying coal ash from TANGEDCO’s power plant in Ennore on Monday has surrounded Sepakkam homes with ash slurry. Thermal power plants are endangering the lives of people and ash ponds are a disaster waiting to happen. TANGEDCO is unresponsive. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami should take action and ensure the safety of residents in the area.”
The massive leak from the ageing pipelines carrying coal ash from TANGEDCO’s power plant in Ennore yesterday has surrounded Seppakkam homes with ash slurry. People & children had to wade out through toxic slush to get to safety.
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 25, 2020
1/2 pic.twitter.com/1NGl9WqINB
An official from the Ennore power plant denied knowledge about the incident. General Manager of Ennore power plant Krishnaswamy was also unavailable for comment.
Dr Vishvaja Sambath, a doctor who has been working with the people of Sepakkam, pointed out that the residents are exposed to prolonged illness due to lack of access to clean water and air pollution. Dr Vishvaja Sambath also said that during a medical camp she conducted in this village, almost all residents were detected with a health disease.
“Because water and food get contaminated due to fly ash, typhoid is very common among the residents here. They also breathe in ‘very poor’ quality air. The accepted air quality level is 60 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) but the air quality here is 180 μg/m3. As a result, residents also experience asthma and other breathing-related illnesses.”
Dr Vishvaja Sambath also said that the medical community should declare the issue as a health emergency and immediately treat the residents of Sepakkam. A study on the impact of coal ash on human health in Sepakkam, conducted by the Health Energy Initiative - India (a collaboration of health professionals, organisations and health researchers advocating for healthy, clean and renewable energy options), too, found that the residents in the village face severe illnesses due to the presence of the coal ash ponds and thermal power plants in the vicinity.
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