Sludge given by Coke plant to farmers toxic: Govt.

New Delhi Aug. 22. The Government today said the sludge supplied by the bottling unit of the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Limited at Plachimada, Palakkad district, to farmers for use as fertilizers contains dangerous levels of cadmium and lead.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Dilip Singh Ju Dev, said the sludge generated by this factory was being used by farmers as manure and landfill. However, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) which had analysed the sludge and effluent generated has now instructed the factory not to let the sludge out of their premises and not use it as manure even within the premises.

Replying to a question, the Minister said out of the 10 lakes identified for cleaning in 1994, projects had been approved for Powai lake (Maharashtra), Udhagamandalam and Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu), Rabindra Sarovar (West Bengal) and Nainital (Uttaranchal). ``Works in respect of Powai have been completed and for others they are in various stages of implementation."

The Minister said out of the remaining lakes, conservation of the Hussain Sagar Lake (Andhra Pradesh) has been taken up by the Andhra Government under the World Bank assistance and some works for Dal Lake conservation.

The proposals for the projects on conservation of Udaipur (Rajasthan), Sukhna (Chandigarh) and Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) had not been submitted by the respective State Governments. — UNI

Paes unwell

Kolkata Aug. 20. Leander Paes will not be able to take part in the upcoming U.S. Open as he has been diagnosed with a cyst in the brain.

The shocking news was causing anxiety but his condition was not alarming, his father, Vece Paes, said here today.

The 30-year-old Leander has been admitted in the M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre at Orlando where an expert medical team has been assembled. — PTI