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.

Mr. 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.

Over the years, Cuddalore SIPCOT has increasingly become associated with not only industrialisation, but also environmental stress. A majority of the large industries fall under the ‘Red’ category of high-polluting industries, while very few are categorised as non-polluting.

Residents in the surrounding villages of Pachaiyankuppam, Thaikal, Thiyagavalli, Eachangadu, Kudikadu, Sonnanchavadi, Karaikadu and Sangolikuppam have repeatedly raised concerns regarding air pollution, groundwater contamination, damage to marine ecosystems, emission of odour, public health concerns, and the long-term sustainability of the region.

Cuddalore-based SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitors (SACEM), which has documented industrial accidents, including chemical leaks, and discharge of effluents by the industries in SIPCOT over the past few decades, says the pollution has reached the saturation level.

“Yet, no tangible measures have been taken to mitigate the problem. Without taking any concrete steps to reduce pollution, the units were advancing the specious idea that expansion of Phase-III would create job opportunities,” a spokesperson of SACEM said.

“The locals perceive the SIPCOT administration as acting like a mere real estate entity. Once land is acquired and handed over, there is a distinct lack of post-allotment monitoring, leaving industrial pollution and its adverse impacts on the community unchecked.”

“Furthermore, the SIPCOT office is largely staffed by contractual workers, transferees from other departments, and retired officials retained as consultants, with critical responsibilities being outsourced to temporary contract staff,” an environmentalist said.

“The people of Cuddalore are not against industrialisation. What they seek is responsible industrialisation, sustainable development, employment-oriented growth, and environmental accountability. For decades, Cuddalore has borne the burden of industrialisation. Now, it deserves the benefits,” Mr. Subramanian said.

“When compared with other SIPCOTs in the State, the one in Cuddalore is home to chemical, petrochemical and other polluting industries, which has led to what stakeholders describe as significant environmental stress. There is also a general public perception that the SIPCOT in Cuddalore is associated mainly with pollution, making it harder to expand into new sectors,” a senior government official said.

“A shipbuilding project was proposed in Kudikadu and Thiyagavalli during the previous government. A G.O. was issued for land acquisition, but protests before the elections affected the process. The project has not been dropped yet. The third phase of SIPCOT may now be shifted to another sector,” the official added.

Residents of the surrounding villages have demanded that the government prohibit the expansion of existing highly polluting industries and the establishment of any new polluting projects in the region. 

They say the government should instead ensure the implementation of eco-friendly, sustainable initiatives that protect the environment while generating safe employment opportunities for the local population.