Sindu Deivanayagam
December 2nd, 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy, a disaster whose devastating impact continues to affect people to this day. This year also marks the first anniversary of the Ennore gas leak. On the night of December 26th 2023, as Ennore was already grappling with the effects of the Michaung cyclone and oil leak from Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), ammonia gas leaked from the pipeline laid by Coromandel Fertilizer Plant in Ennore, North Chennai. Suddenly, residents began experiencing irritation and difficulty breathing, with many fainting.
Spatial segregation in cities is a long-standing issue, with cities around the world being divided based on factors like race, color, and caste. During the colonial era, Chennai, then known as Madras, was split into ‘Black Town’ and ‘White Town’ along racial lines. Over time, this division became rooted in caste, with indigenous Paraiyan regiments and laborers settling in Black Town, while upper-caste government employees chose to live in White Town. This caste and class divide persists today, with the city now divided into North and South Chennai. The people of North Chennai continue to suffer the negative impacts of urbanization, shouldering environmental burdens. The area hosts Chennai’s largest garbage dump and is home to several hazardous industries.
Ennore, a place North of Chennai that was once an ecological marvel with creeks, rivers, canals, backwaters, sea, saltpans, sand dunes, and mangroves has been transformed into a polluted, foul-smelling, and uninhabitable dystopia. The area now hosts multiple thermal power plants, oil companies, cement factories, petrochemical parks, and two major ports, all of which contribute to the degradation of the ecosystem by leaking oil, fly ash, toxins, and more. The majority of the local population, primarily fishermen, have lost their livelihoods entirely. This isn’t the first time the region has experienced a gas or oil leak. One resident shared, “Every time the flood comes, an oil leak is common here. CPCL waits for the flood to release oil into the river. Last December, we faced three disasters—flood, oil leak, and finally, a gas leak.”
On the night of December 26th, 2023, around 11:45 PM, a 2.5 km pipeline containing 12,500 tonnes of ammonia began leaking. Within just 15 minutes, 67.63 tonnes of ammonia had escaped. The only silver lining was that the leak occurred beneath the sea, which minimized the damage, even though the ammonia levels in the air were still extremely high. The most alarming aspect was that no warnings were issued to the public, and none of the sensors worked when the leak occurred. This led to confusion, as residents were unaware of what was happening. “We were running in panic, facing the fear of death. That night, we were carrying our children and fleeing”, says a woman of Periyakuppam. Over 42 people were hospitalized as a result.
The day after the leak, people began protesting outside the factory, demanding its closure. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the technical committee that investigated the incident imposed an environmental compensation fee of 5.92 crore, which TNPCB will use to reverse the environmental damages here. So far, no actions have been taken. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled that the company could resume operations in May, provided it complied with the conditions set by the TNPCB. However, the protests continued for over 100 days, with 33 villages taking turns to protest outside the company every day. The majority of the protesters were women, who, when asked about their involvement, responded, “As mothers, all we care about is the well-being of our children. That night, we realized that this company could kill us and our children at any time. We won’t wait for another ammonia leak to happen. We want this company shut down, and that’s it.”
When asked, one of the protesters explained, “The Company came in the 1960s, initially getting approval by claiming they were a chocolate factory, EID Parrys. Over the years, they shifted from sugar production to manufacturing fertilizers, gradually transforming into a fertilizer plant.” The residents expressed feeling deceived when they discovered the company had been producing fertilizers from the start. In the 1980s, they had protested due to widespread cases of fluorosis among the residents and children, with the government later confirming that the groundwater had been contaminated with fluoride from the company’s operations and advising the community not to use it. This highlights the company’s long history of environmental negligence.
The Ennore gas leak is often seen as an isolated event, but it is actually the result of a deeper, structural failure. There is a long history of environmental injustice affecting the people of North Chennai, particularly those in Ennore, who are predominantly fishermen and have long been stewards and protectors of the local ecosystem. Their land, livelihood, and environment have been destroyed in the name of development, yet they see no benefits from it. Instead, they bear the brunt of this development, while the people of South Chennai reap the rewards. “Our livelihoods are already lost. The Ennore creek, which connects to the sea, is filled with fly ash, toxins, and other pollutants. They also discharge hot water directly into the creek, all of which harms the fish, prawns, and other species in the river. They’ve even built transmission towers inside the river. The thermal power plants not only pollute the water but the air as well, and this area has the highest cancer rates. Now, on top of all this, our very lives are at risk because of the negligence of these industries. If there’s another gas leak, there will be no Ennore left,” says the fishermen of Kattukuppam.
In August, Coromandel resumed partial operations, and the protests calling for the company’s closure gradually lost momentum. Reports surfaced suggesting that villagers were allegedly coerced into accepting large sums of money to silence their opposition. Each resident of the village received 10,000 rupees. Rumors circulated that the local MLA had arranged a meeting with the company, where protesters were paid off. This form of hush money, driven by crony capitalism, only deepens the vulnerability of the people. Both the company and politicians have denied these claims. One female resident explained, “Some accept the money because, in the end, we’re all going to die. It’s just a matter of whether you get 10,000 and die, or die without it.” This reflects their complete loss of faith in justice. After spending over three months protesting, sacrificing their daily livelihoods, and receiving no media attention or resolution, people naturally become exhausted and lose hope. As Gayatri Spivak asks, “Can the subaltern speak?” we must also ask, “Does society listen?” Because their voices are marginalized, it becomes easier for those in power to silence them.
Bourgeoisie environmentalism, as Amita Baviskar says, often focuses on high-visibility, aesthetic projects that tend to be more about beautification and recreation rather than addressing the deep-rooted ecological and social problems that affect marginalized communities. These projects, like rejuvenating lakes with fencing, cleaning beaches by displacing fishing communities, or evicting slums to “beautify” the city, receive substantial attention and funding. While these initiatives may appear environmentally friendly on the surface, they often serve to protect the interests of the urban elite, ensuring that their recreational spaces remain pristine and profitable, but at the cost of displacing and ignoring those who depend on these environments for their livelihood.
In contrast, subaltern environmentalism, rooted in marginalized communities’ struggles, often goes unrecognized as an environmental movement. These communities, such as the fishermen in Ennore, have a direct, lived relationship with the land and ecosystem. Their environment is not just a place of recreation but a space of survival, where their livelihoods are intimately connected with the health of the ecosystem, whether it’s the creeks, rivers, or the sea. For them, environmentalism isn’t a luxury; it’s a matter of life and death. These people often fight not just for cleaner environments, but for their very survival as industries, urban development, and pollution encroach upon their traditional spaces and livelihoods.
Champa Devi Shukla, a survivor of the Bhopal gas tragedy and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, visited Chennai in July this year and met with the people of Ennore. She shared, “As a survivor of the world’s worst gas leak disaster, I can relate to the horrors faced by the residents of Ennore on the night of December 26, 2023. As both a survivor and an activist involved in the struggle, I urge the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that Coromandel Fertilizer Company, with its hazardous chemical storage facility, is not allowed to reopen. If a leak were to occur from the storage tank and no one can guarantee that it won’t we could witness a repeat of the Bhopal disaster in Chennai. Let there be no more Bhopals. Please.” – Champa Devi Shukla, speaking with Ennore residents.
Development and urbanization are portrayed as a positive process that creates world-class utopian modern cities. But these are made at the cost of destroying a beautiful ecosystem and destroying the livelihood of several people and the local economy associated with it. The divided city constantly keeps a set of marginalized sections of the population constantly struggling with the threat of death and loss of livelihood by making their spaces dangerous and hazardous. It is high time we reimagine the meaning of development. North Chennai will not suffer hereafter for the South Chennai to grow. True progress should not come at the expense of the most vulnerable members of society. If we truly aim to build cities that are both modern and sustainable, we must recognize the value of marginalized communities and center the voices of those most affected by environmental degradation.
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Sindu Deivanayagam is a research scholar at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore. Her areas of interest include Urban Ecology, Eco-casteism, and Subaltern Urban Studies.
