Health authorities in Tamil Nadu are investigating how liquid discharged from Apple supplier Tata’s iPhone components factory has affected farmers, some of whom complained about skin issues from contamination in their farmlands, according to three officials and a document reviewed by Reuters. The health investigation opens a new front in an environmental dispute that has become a test case for India’s push to become a major manufacturing hub for Apple iPhones.The Tata Electronics plant in Hosur in Tamil Nadu state was sent a warning notice by the state pollution control board on May 25 for allegedly contaminating groundwater in adjacent farms. Tata said in a statement this week that the pollution board had dropped its scrutiny after confirming its analysis of recently collected water samples from inside the facility did “not indicate any contamination”.The pollution board and the state have not commented on the matter and did not respond to Reuters emails and phone calls requesting comment. Apple has also not commented on the situation and did not respond to Reuters’ requests.
A farmer washes his hands in his open well, near the Tata Electronics' components factory for Apple's iPhone in Hosur, Tamil Nadu
