The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has issued a show cause notice on the Coimbatore-based company for its lapse. The state government is contemplating imposition of a fine of around Rs 50 lakh on the company, according to state environment and forest minister Pongalur N Palaniswamy. The action is expected to be initiated in a fortnight's time after SIV replies to the show cause notice.

Eyewitnesses in the Bhavani region claim tonnes of fishes lay dead across a five km stretch downstream on July 12. The company, it is claimed, had released harmful and untreated pulp effluent stock from one of its lagoons into the river. The low flow in the river resulted in ``pools of black liquid remaining stagnant'' and this aggravated thesituation.

Environmentalist and president of Bhavani River Joint Protection Council (BRJPC) Sathyasundari claimed, ``heaps of dead fish were found. We have taken a video footage which would be sent to all concerned. We are planning to sue SIV for contempt of court.'' Besides, the council is also likely to seek a commission of inquiry or an impact assessment report.

The incident has sent shock waves across Sirumugai, where SIV plants are located. However, the farmers of the region are hesitant to collect together to protest against the incident ``since they were silenced by the state when they protested against opening of the pulp plant''. The farmers, it may be noted, were arrested when they protested against the pipe laying activities of SIV. The pipes were later laid, to carry treated effluent from pulp plant to nearby land, under state-provided security.

Meanwhile, SIV is learnt to have given its president (operations) A Basu marching orders holding him responsible for the lapse. According tominister Palanisamy, all employed on that particular shift (July 11 night) would be removed from SIV. Giving a clean chit to the company's management (which was not aware of the event, according to him), he said, the state has also employed three TNPCB officials in the company premises to monitor effluent treatment processes. Police personnel have been deployed in the premises and nearby areas.

Informed sources in Sirumugai claimed the state government is trying to hush up the matter and aid in reopening the pulp plant (closed after the incident) in another two days.``Adequate precautions should have been taken before reopening the pulp plant last month. There was no monitoring also. What was the need to reopen the pulp plant in a haste?'' asks Sathyasundari, according to whom the company needed at least 6,000 acres for discharge of the harmful effluent and not 350 acres.