The South Indian fishermen’s welfare association has urged chief minister M K Stalin to ensure permanent closure of Coromandel International Limited plant in Ennore.
In a representation made to the chief minister, they said ammonia gas leak from the plant around midnight recently directly affected people residing at Periyakuppam near the plant. More than 50 people fainted and had to be hospitalised. The gas leak also led to death of fish in large numbers.
The accident brought back memories of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and triffered fear for life among people living near the plant, it said.
The Ennore Kathivakkam corporation area is densely populated, and the industry maintaining an ammonia storage facility with a capacity of 12500MT is very dangerous. The facility is only 44m from the sea.
K Bharathi, president of the association, said if the an intense cyclone hits the plant, the destruction could be bigger.