The Kerala government today introduced a Bill in the State Assembly to force Coca-Cola to pay compensation for the alleged negative ecological and health effects of its erstwhile factory at Plachimada in Palakkad district, and to distribute this money to the victims.
Minister for water resources N K Premachandran piloted the Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims — Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal —2011 Bill and the assembly unanimously routed it to the subjects committee.
The Bill proposes to get compensation from the company and to form a tribunal to provide time-bound compensation. The tribunal is to have a chairman, a technical member and an administrative member.
The minister alleged the Plachimada factory caused serious damage to the agriculture sector and the area’s water resources, leading to serious shortage of drinking water, among other problems. The government says metals like cadmium, chromium and lead were also excluded from the factory and that caused health problems to several people in that area. This caused skin as well as respiratory problems to several people in that area, said the minister.
The plant was closed after a prolonged agitation by area residents, making global news. In March last year, an official committee of the state government reported the plant had caused serious damage to the environment of the village, leading to a loss of Rs 216 crore. The committee, headed by K Jayakumar, additional chief secretary, said there was over-exploitation of ground water and other damage to agriculture and ecology. It had recommended a compensation tribunal. The Bill seeks to effect this.