The problem

Ranipet is a medium-sized community located about 100 miles from Chennai, the fourth largest urban area in India. A factory in Ranipet manufactures sodium chromate, chromium salts and Basic Chromium Sulfate Tanning Powder used locally in the leather tanning process. The raw materials used in the process include chromate ore, limestone soda ash, sulfuric acid and soldium chlorate.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) estimates that about 150,000 tons of solid wastes accumulated over two decades of plant operation are stacked in an open yard (three to five meters high and on 2 hectares of land) on the facility premises.

Current Activity

Site visited. This site will be pursued for remediation as it poses significant health risks to the population