For decades, residents of Ennore and Manali in North Chennai have lived under the shadow of fertiliser plants, oil refineries, and coal-powered thermal plants along the coast. The presence of these “red-category” industries makes Tiruvallur district the State’s most polluted industrial cluster, which has left locals there to endure recurring gas leaks, oil spills, and layers of toxic dust settling over fishing hamlets and working-class neighbourhoods.
Recurring industrial hazards
The crisis deepened in December 2023, when two major industrial accidents — an oil spill and a gas leak — once again exposed the vulnerability of residents. In response, the Tamil Nadu government set up the Manali Ennore Rejuvenation and Restoration Council (MERRC), which was recently launched by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change. As per a government order issued in September 2024, the Council has been tasked with greening projects, desilting, waste management, mangrove restoration, and pollution control. But residents and experts say these efforts fall short. Without addressing the severe health problems that already plague communities, they warn, restoration will remain incomplete.
Toxic everyday exposure
For P. Vijayashanthi, a mother of two kids, who moved to Sathyavani Muthu Nagar in Ennore just over a year back, the effects have been stark. “It is terrible for newcomers like me. I developed a continuous cough that doctors linked to asthma. When I leave this area, it improves. When I return, the throat and cough problems start again,” she says.
She avoids letting her children play outside and shuts windows whenever the air turns pungent. “If we leave our footwear outside overnight, by morning, a layer of black dust covers them,” she adds.
Escalating health crisis
A recent report from the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) flagged Ennore-Manali as a stark example of how fossil fuel operations devastate public health. The Cradle to Grave report warns that pollution affects human health from foetal development to old age. “Our waters are the heart of our culture,” said fisherman R. L. Srinivasan from Kattukuppam in the report. “But coal and oil refinery pollution has poisoned them. Fishing is no longer viable, and many of us are leaving behind generations of tradition.”
Residents say water sources are badly contaminated. “When we dug borewells, the water looked pale whitish, so we had to close them,” says Ms. Vijayashanthi. In Valluvar Nagar, Vadivukkarasi says, “Children under five have breathing troubles. Doctors say it’s because we live in an industrial area. Effluents in the water cause diarrhoea.”
According to the GCHA report, fossil fuel pollution is linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, cancer, and complications in childbirth. Many harms remain understudied, often surfacing decades later. At a public hearing in January 2024, residents raised concerns about fertility and cancer. Lalitha from V.O.C. Nagar said: “I spent ₹3.5 lakhs on treatment. You’ll find many families here without children or with cancer patients.” No doubt these claims will have to be investigated thoroughly by State agencies.
Demands for a health survey intensified after dust samples collected by locals in May 2025 in Sathyavani Muthunagar showed dangerously high levels of lead, uranium, cadmium, and fluoride. However, no plans have been floated by the State government to carry out a health survey.
For older residents in the area, decline has been long and visible. “In the 1970s we fetched clean water two kilometres away. Even then my children’s teeth turned yellow from fluoride. Now there are respiratory problems too,” says 69-year-old K. Devaki.
Without immediate systemic interventions, including health surveys, medical access, and environmental clean-up, Ennore risks remaining a “sacrifice zone” where livelihoods and dignity are traded for industrial growth.
Shweta Narayan of the GCHA, co-author of the Cradle to Grave report, stresses that health must be addressed alongside the environment.
Prioritising health
“Environmental restoration prevents future health problems. But what about the people already affected?” she asks. She calls for parallel, robust health infrastructure in heavily industrialised regions, citing how residents in Cuddalore district have had to pay out of pocket for treatment of allergies and respiratory illnesses caused by untreated industrial effluents.
Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and former chief scientist of the World Health Organization, says interventions must be multipronged. “A quick assessment of health needs is essential to understand the kinds of diseases and issues people face, and to make access to specific health services easier. Psychological support must also be given, and residents should be consulted on how things can be improved,” she adds.
Published – September 28, 2025 11:00 am IST