IPHONE PARTS FACTORY ACCUSED OF CONTAMINATING GROUNDWATER ON FARMLAND

BENGALURU, JUNE 13 /SRNA–Reuters/ – India's environmental regulator has accused Tata Electronics of contaminating groundwater on nearby agricultural land with wastewater from a factory producing components for Apple iPhones and warned that the facility could be shut down unless the company provides a satisfactory explanation.

The factory under investigation is located in the town of Hosur in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and manufactures rear panels and other components for iPhones.

Owners of farmland near the factory have been filing complaints for months with the Pollution Control Board, alleging that wastewater from the facility has been contaminating their land and open wells.

Those complaints led to five inspections conducted by authorities between December last year and May this year.

During the inspections, investigators found that the factory had been discharging wastewater into a rainwater-harvesting pond within the industrial complex and that the pond had overflowed. According to the regulator's warning, this resulted in the contamination of groundwater in open wells located on neighboring agricultural properties.

The Tata Company stated that it is committed to responsible business practices and the protection of the environment and local communities, adding that it has already submitted its response to the relevant environmental authorities.