{"id":127923,"date":"2026-06-19T20:32:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T15:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=127923"},"modified":"2026-06-19T20:32:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T15:32:37","slug":"tatas-iphone-parts-factory-in-indias-tamil-nadu-faces-health-probe-after-farmers-contamination-complaints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/","title":{"rendered":"Tata’s iPhone parts factory in India’s Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers’ contamination complaints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Web desk(National Times)- An Indian state health authority is investigating how liquid discharged from Apple supplier Tata\u2019s 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\u00a0Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The health investigation opens a new front in an environmental dispute that has become a test case for India\u2019s push<\/a> to become a major manufacturing hub for Apple iPhones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tata Electronics plant in Hosur in southern Tamil Nadu state was sent a warning notice by the state pollution control board on May 25 for allegedly contaminating groundwater in adjacent farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cnot indicate any contamination\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pollution board and the state have not commented on the matter and did not respond to Reuters<\/em> emails and phone calls requesting comment. Apple has also not commented on the situation and did not respond to Reuters<\/em>\u2019 requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to government sources and a letter, health officials in the district have been running their own investigation since at least late May after farmer complaints about the plant, which opened in 2021 and makes iPhone back covers and some other parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A health inspection found discharge from the Tata plant had caused a \u201csevere foul smell\u201d and left water \u201cunsuitable for animals to drink\u201d, according to a May 27 letter sent by Anish Parvin, a government medical officer in the Ullugurukkai village, where the plant is located, to the state-run Institute of Vector Control and Zoonoses in Hosur.A farmer washes his hands in his open well, near the Tata Electronics\u2019 components factory for Apple\u2019s iPhone in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India on June 15, 2026. \u2014 Reuters<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWastewater released from Tata Electronics\u2026 has accumulated in nearby agricultural lands and is contaminating the clean water present in wells nearby,\u201d read the letter, which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has also been reported that people are experiencing skin-related health issues due to this contamination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parvin told Reuters<\/em> she received complaints from farmers about health issues, although no cases had yet been clinically established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two water samples from the farms have been submitted by health officials to a state government laboratory for testing, a government source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both samples tested positive for E. coli, bacterium found in sewage that indicates faecal contamination of the water supply, according to a report from the district public health laboratory dated May 30, obtained by Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The probe by state health officials, which Reuters<\/em> is reporting for the first time, remains ongoing with a second set of results from tests still awaited, said Rajesh Kumar C, a senior government official who oversees public health in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Key state for Apple, India<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The dispute has pitted a farming community against the Tata Group, an industrial giant that is one of Apple\u2019s most important Indian suppliers and central to Apple\u2019s drive to diversify production beyond China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India is on track to make 26 per cent of the world\u2019s iPhones in 2026, up from 6pc four years ago, according to research firm Counterpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamil Nadu is a major manufacturing hub, with another Tata iPhone assembly plant there, and Samsung and Hyundai Motor also operating large factories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scrutiny on the Tata plant followed complaints from farmers, which led the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to seek an explanation from the company and warn that its plant could be shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newly revealed documents show farmers first raised their concerns in a December 8 letter to Tata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter, from a local social justice group and 15 farmers, alleged wastewater from the plant had fouled their streams, ponds and groundwater, leaving them unable to cultivate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters<\/em> could not establish if Tata responded to the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person familiar with the matter said a pump failure occurred at the Tata plant\u2019s water treatment unit in December, leading to some treated sewage flowing into its rainwater harvesting pond, and then overflowing into a lake outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tata acted immediately to stop the overflow and the pump was repaired, the person added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple\u2019s supplier code of conduct requires suppliers to \u201cidentify, control, and reduce wastewater\u201d and \u201cconduct routine monitoring\u201d of treatment systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also requires suppliers to \u201cprevent contamination of stormwater runoff\u201d and comply with all environmental permits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Government test reports<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pollution regulator also collected samples in April from two open wells near the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results, reviewed by Reuters<\/em>, showed total dissolved solids (TDS) \u2014 a measure of minerals, salts and metals in water \u2014 at 1,084 and 1,286 milligrams per litre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is more than double the 500 mg\/l that the Bureau of Indian Standards considers acceptable for drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndustrial pollution can increase TDS. Currently, without treatment, it is unsuitable not only for human consumption but also for fisheries and wildlife,\u201d said Nidhi Paliwal, co-founder of Indian non-profit Paani Earth Foundation, who reviewed the test reports for Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A publicly available 2023 Tata environmental study showed water quality at locations around the plant met Indian safe drinking standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, Reuters<\/em> visited the plant site twice and interviewed more than a dozen farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farmers scooped up water from an open well that appeared black in colour. At points along the factory wall, Reuters<\/em> saw accumulated water that appeared green and scummy.A farmer shows water from his field to Reuters in a field near the Tata Electronics\u2019 components factory for Apple\u2019s iPhone in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India on June 15, 2026. \u2014 Reuters<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers allege the contamination has damaged some crops and made land infertile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we sow seeds with this water, they sprout \u2014 and then they wither and die,\u201d said Gurumoorthy V, 40, who used to grow tomatoes, beans and rice on his land nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuters<\/em> could not independently verify the claim or immediately assess the water quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dispute briefly turned tense on Monday when a man from the farmers\u2019 group crossed onto Tata\u2019s land to photograph a pond they alleged held wastewater, prompting one guard to fetch a firearm from a vehicle and carry it on his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group responded, saying \u201cshoot us\u201d, before the standoff ended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Web desk(National Times)- An Indian state health authority is investigating how liquid discharged from Apple supplier Tata\u2019s 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\u00a0Reuters. The health investigation opens a new front in an environmental dispute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":127924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nTata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Web desk(National Times)- An Indian state health authority is investigating how liquid discharged from Apple supplier Tata\u2019s 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\u00a0Reuters. The health investigation opens a new front in an environmental dispute […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-19T15:32:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-19T15:32:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"670\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/\",\"name\":\"Tata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-19T15:32:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-19T15:32:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png\",\"width\":670,\"height\":370},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tata’s iPhone parts factory in India’s Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers’ contamination complaints\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\",\"name\":\"Nation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\",\"name\":\"humza Jahangir\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"humza Jahangir\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/author\/humza\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation","og_description":"Web desk(National Times)- An Indian state health authority is investigating how liquid discharged from Apple supplier Tata\u2019s 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\u00a0Reuters. The health investigation opens a new front in an environmental dispute […]","og_url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/","og_site_name":"Nation","article_published_time":"2026-06-19T15:32:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-19T15:32:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":670,"height":370,"url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"humza Jahangir","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"humza Jahangir","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/","url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/","name":"Tata's iPhone parts factory in India's Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers' contamination complaints - Nation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png","datePublished":"2026-06-19T15:32:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-19T15:32:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-22-6.png","width":670,"height":370},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/127923\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tata’s iPhone parts factory in India’s Tamil Nadu faces health probe after farmers’ contamination complaints"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/","name":"Nation","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16","name":"humza Jahangir","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"humza Jahangir"},"url":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/author\/humza\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127923"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127925,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127923\/revisions\/127925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}