TCCL causing serious mercury pollution: CSE

Kochi: The Kerala state government-owned Travancore-Cochin Chemicals Ltd (TCCL) near here, one of the oldest chlorine and caustic soda plants in India, has been found to be causing serious mercury pollution by a study carried out by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

TCCL releases three times the average amount of mercury released into the environment by the caustic-chlorine industry in the country, according to CSE's Green Rating Project (GRP). Mercury poisoning can cause damage to the human nervous system. It can lead to tremors and alterations in the personality and the moods.

"On an average, TCCL releases 396 grams of mercury into the environment while producing just 1 tonne caustic soda from the mercury cell process," the study points out. "This is almost three times the average amount of mercury released by the caustic-chlorine sector."

In the yearlong study, GRP monitored 22 factories that covered some 90 per cent of the caustic-chlorine industry in India. The study considered the company's three-year performance during 1997-2000. GRP results were released by former union finance minister Manmohan Singh at a ceremony held in New Delhi last week. "This is one of the most extensive studies ever to have been undertaken on the caustic-chlorine industry in the world," says CSE.

This was the third time that GRP was assessing different sectors of the Indian industry to check out their eco-friendliness. GRP, wherein a non-governmental organisation rates the industry on its environment performance, is claimed to be one of its kind in the world.

TCCL was rated as the "worst-performing company" among other 22. It scored just 15.1 per cent marks, while the best-performing company — Chemfab Alkalis Ltd — scored 46.6. TCCL scored consistently low marks in most of the 150 parameters used to assess performance. "The most environmentally damaging aspect of the company is its mercury pollution," says the study.

TCCL, located on the banks of the Periyar River, was set up in 1951. It supplies chlorine to purify much of the piped water supplied in Kerala. The loss-making company has failed to keep pace with changing technologies to minimise pollution. "The company has been incurring huge losses, and its management quoted this as the reason for not taking up environment protection initiatives."

About 42 per cent of the total caustic soda production at TCCL is based on mercury-cell process and 58 per cent on membrane cell process. "The company has no environment management system in place," points out GRP.

The CSE study reveals that the caustic-chlorine industry releases an astounding 60-70 tonnes of mercury every year to India's environment. "This is 70 times the amount of mercury that triggered the Minamata tragedy (off the Minamata Bay in Japan in 1950s affecting thousands of people)."