Tamil Nadu is conducting soil quality mapping at industrial hotspots across the State, said M. Jayanthi, Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

Addressing a stakeholders conclave organised by CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Chennai on Friday, Ms. Jayanthi said the exercise, being carried out along with experts from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, would ensure that the State's industrial activities did not compromise environmental health.

Ms. Jayanthi said that while Tamil Nadu hosted 31 operational special economic zones (SEZs), the highest in India, these opportunities came with challenges, especially for the TNPCB. She said the heavy metals and microplastics were increasingly detected in our marine environments, wetlands such as Pallikaranai were being encroached upon, and climate change brought extreme weather events, which threatened both ecosystems and livelihoods

S. Sreekala, chairperson of Kerala State Pollution Control Board, highlighted concerns over the contamination of potable waterbodies due to seawater percolation. She stressed the need for ultra-filtration to treat water affected by percolation, the presence of E. Coli in well water, and the growing issue of antimicrobial-resistant residues in waterbodies.

Around 350 participants from various State Pollution Control Boards, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry, and representatives from industries, the Tamil Nadu Integrated Waste Management Association, and Industrial Waste Management Association attended the conclave.

At the event, CSIR-NEERI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to promote joint research and development activities in the broad area of water and wastewater management.

The MoU was exchanged by Venkata Mohan, Director, CSIR-NEERI, and K. Rajeevan, vice-president and CTO, L&T, Chennai, in the presence of N. Anandavalli, Director, Structural Engineering Research Center, N. Ramesh, member secretary, Puducherry Pollution Control Committee, Sukumar Devotta, former Director, CSIR-NEERI, and R. Sivacoumar, head of the CSIR-NEERI regional office, Chennai head.

Mapping of soil quality at industrial hotspots across Tamil Nadu under way: TNPCB Chairperson