COCHIN, India (AP) — The top court in a southern Indian state on Tuesday ordered a Coca-Cola plant to stop using local groundwater after village officials complained that the American soft drink giant was depleting scarce supplies.
Judge K. Balakrishnan Nair of the High Court in Kerala state gave Coca-Cola officials one month to stop using groundwater at the plant in Plachimada village and arrange to get water through other sources.
The Perumatty village council, which controls several villages including Plachimada, had alleged that the plant was quickly depleting local water levels by drawing 400,000 gallons of water daily through dozens of bore wells.
"The plant has caused a severe drain on the water resources of the entire area, but the order is a great victory for the village," said M. Ramkumar, an attorney for the village council.
It wasn't clear where Coke would get water to run its bottling plant.
Coke "respects the court order," H.K.K. Warrier, a manager at the plant, told The Associated Press. "We will study the court order and take appropriate decisions in the next one month."
Representatives of Atlanta-based Coca-Cola testified before the village council last month that the plant was not depleting groundwater.