Thaindian News

Chennai, July 26 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) Monday gave a clean chit to mobile phone accessory maker Foxconn India saying no gas or chemical were being used at the first floor of its unit where some workers complained of nausea Friday.
In a statement issued here, the TNPCB said the workers fell sick on the first floor of the Sunguvarchatram plant after inhaling a strong pesticide odour.

“Foxconn India’s plant at Sunguvarchatram has been licensed to operate till March 30, 2012. Around 4 p.m., on July 23 four workers vomited and fainted. They were taken to the hospital and sent home.”

According to the TNPCB, while work at the Sunguvarchatram plant around 50 km from here was stopped workers were sent to the company’s main plant at Nokia Special Economic Zone at Sriperumbudur.

On July 24, around 10 workers who were shifted to the company’s main plant the previous day fainted. While four were treated at Jaya hospital at Sriperumbudur, six were taken to Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre.

However, the statement is silent on the kind of tests the TNPCB conducted to arrive at this conclusion.

Speaking to IANS, C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, president, Foxconn India Thozilalar Munnetra Sangam, said: “Around 12 workers are still in Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre and five of them may be discharged Tuesday as per indications given by the doctors there.”

He said Labour Minister T.M. Anbarasan visited the workers at the hospital Monday and enquired about their health.

According to Ezhilarasan, the Suguvarchatram plant has to be inspected by experts to find the exact cause of the workers falling sick.

Police officials at Sunguvarchatram told IANS that the two arrested plant officials were released on bail.

The First Information Report (FIR) said it was a case of negligence, a bailable offence.

Top officials of Foxconn India were not immediately available for comment.