Four decades on, Cuddalore’s growth overshadowed by environmental stress, broken promises
More than four decades ago in 1984, Cuddalore, a backward region that was also the headquarters of the erstwhile South Arcot district, was chosen for
More than four decades ago in 1984, Cuddalore, a backward region that was also the headquarters of the erstwhile South Arcot district, was chosen for the establishment of one of the largest coastal industrialised zones in Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of acres of land was acquired for the project, and the people were hopeful that the establishment of the SIPCOT industrial estate would generate employment. The promise made to the people was clear: industrial growth, employment opportunities, urban development, economic transformation, and the rise of local entrepreneurship. The State backed the project with subsidies on land parcels, infrastructure development, and loan assistance to private companies. The Phase I of SIPCOT covers 518.79 acres, followed by Phase II with 171.86 acres, and Phase III with 1,934.41 acres. However, industrialisation in Cuddalore had been marred by disputes over land acquisition, low employment density despite a massive industrial footprint, environmental stress, and the lack of developmental benefits to local communities. Natesan Subramanian, coordinator of KurinjiCAN (Citizens’ Action Network), a citizen-led initiative, said, “The problem lies not in the absence of industrialisation, but the over-concentration of a single category of industry. The Cuddalore SIPCOT today is dominated largely by chemical industries, petrochemical industries, industrial intermediates, solvent and processing industries, fertilizer-linked manufacturing, and other pollution-intensive sectors.” “These industries occupy vast tracts of land and consume significant water and energy resources, but generate relatively less employment opportunities when compared to diversified manufacturing ecosystems.
Cuddalore has not evolved into a high-employment industrial ecosystem when compared to Hosur, Coimbatore, Oragadam, and Tiruppur,” he added. If the same extent of land had been strategically utilised for automobile component manufacturing, EV ecosystems, MSMEs, renewable energy equipment, food processing, export-oriented assembly industries, and electronic manufacturing, the employment multiplier effect could have been several times higher, he said. P. Senthamaraikannan, former president of Kudikadu Panchayat, gave 4.5 acres of his agricultural land in 1980 for the establishment of Phase I of SIPCOT. “The authorities promised guaranteed employment for one member of each family who gave their land. They also promised the adoption of Kudikadu village and various other benefits, including healthcare. However, the residents got nothing in return, and only broken promises remain,” he said. “People who gave their land also got a meagre compensation, while those who moved the court got enhanced compensation. The groundwater is severely contaminated, and water is supplied through tankers now. Local communities have suffered environmental pollution, and have not got the fruits of development as promised,” he added. Kannan, a former serviceman, says he has been able to support his family with the help of his monthly pension, while several others who were denied the promised benefits, including jobs, are struggling to make ends meet, and many others have migrated to other cities. Environmental stress has become Cuddalore’s biggest structural burden, say environmentalists.
The BriefWire