16 October, 2007 – The Kerrala state government, in southern India, has served a notice on Coca-Cola asking it to answer allegations that one of its bottling plants had contaminated water and soil.
The factory in Plachimada has been closed since 2005 following a temporary ban issued by the government after concerns were raised about pollution and allegations the site was running down water supplies in the area.
The latest notice issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board has given the soft drinks giant 15 days to respond to the allegations.
The official notice states the company’s Indian division, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, had “sold solid waste from the plant as fertilizer to local farmers and this had caused contamination of soil from heavy metals such as cadmium”.
The company has denied the allegations saying the factory was “zero discharge plant”. A Coca-cola spokesman said the treated waste water was used within the plant itself.
FLEXNEWS reported in August 2006 that Kerala became the first state in India to ban the sale of the production and sale of both Coca-Cola and Pepsi after a research body claimed they contained a high level of pesticide residue. The ban was later overturned.