The court order came amid trader bodies calling for boycotting soft drinks by cola, that was reported by DNA on March 1.
The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai on Thursday dismissed two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions against the supply of Thamirabarani river (below) surface water to the bottling plants of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola in Tamil Nadu.
A division bench headed by Justice A Selvam and Justice P Kalaiarasan also vacated the stay restraining the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) from supplying water to the two firms located at the Industrial Growth Centre at Gangaikondan in Tirunelveli in November last year.
The court order came amid trader bodies calling for boycotting soft drinks by cola, that was reported by DNA on March 1.
The two litigants — consumer activist DA Prabakar, and former MLA Appavo — argued that the Tamirabarani river, supported the drinking water projects and irrigation schemes of the two districts.
Despite drinking water crisis and shortage of water for cultivation, they said that SIPCOT supplies 15 lakh litres and nine lakh litres of water daily to Prathishta Business Solution, co-packer of PepsiCo and South India Bottling company, the co-packer of Coca-Cola Company at a throw away price of Rs 37.50 per 1000 litres. The same multinational companies sell their soft drinks and packaged drinking water at enormous rates, they said.
In their counter-affidavits, the co-packers of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola denied the allegation of exploitation of river water and urged the court to vacate the interim stay. SIPCOT also backed the claim made by the industries.
The Pepsi bottling plant utilised 3.41 lakh litres a day in 2016-17 against the committed quantity of 15 lakh litres while Coca-Cola had utilised 2.63 lakh litres a day in 2016-17 against the committed quantity of nine lakh litres a day, said SIPCOT general manager P Kumaravel Pandian in an affidavit.
Earlier, he also submitted that only the surplus was supplied to the companies. The corporation draws 22.73 lakh litres daily for industries in Tirunelveli and 86.37 lakh litres daily for Tuticorin from the river to supply to the industries at Gangaikondan and Tuticorin district.
Protest 'in' river
Upset with the HC order, activists from the Satta Panchayat Iyakkam entered the river raising slogans against the state government and district administration for supporting the Cola majors. They wanted the soft drink manufacturing companies to be shut permanently and water to be diverted for drinking and agricultural purposes.
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