Chennai, Jan 30 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has shut down three prawn processing units in Thoothukudi district to reduce pollution in the 'Upper Odai' river.

A senior TNPCB official told IANS that King Aqua Plant, Nisha Sea Foods and SRK sea foods are the units against whom the action has been taken.

Falling under the orange category of industries, these units are engaged in peeling, de-veining and washing of prawns.

The units were shut down following the recommendations of the inspection units of the TNPCB under section 33 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Section 31 of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981. The power supply to these units were disconnected following the shut down notice of the TNPCB.

The pollution control board action followed people's protests on the extensive pollution that was subjected at river Upper Odai which turned pink.

Thoothukudi MP and senior leader of the DMK, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi had visited the river and found that it had turned as the discharge of untreated effluent went into the river, the source said.

The three units that were shut down did not have the mandatory Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and had not renewed the Consent to Operate (CTO) from the state pollution control board.

The three plants were discharging 2.5 kilolitre per day (KLD), 3 KLD, and 10 KLD untreated effluents into the Upper Odai river per day, he said.

MP Kanimozhi had asked for strong action against the units that polluted the Upper Odai leading to immediate action.

The units will not be opened unless they install the mandatory Effluent Treatment Plant(ETP) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant as well as abiding by the mandatory norms of the TNPCB.