On collision course

The owners of Panipat's dyeing units are in a defiant mood. Complying with the directions of the Supreme Court (sc), the district administration has ordered around 500 units to shift from residential areas to the industrial zone. However, the dye house owners have said an emphatic "no" to such relocation. Instead, they will hand over the keys of the units to the officials. The lobby has the support of exporters who depend on it for dyeing their handloom products. Despite the sc directive, the units have been functioning from residential areas. These dye houses are said to be causing contamination of groundwater. According to an estimate, about 10 million litres of polluted water is discharged by the units every day.