Plea to prevent River Bhavani from being polluted

Members of various political parties, farmers and traders’ associations have urged the State government to take steps to prevent River Bhavani from being polluted. 

Members of various political parties, farmers and traders’ associations have urged the State government to take steps to prevent River Bhavani from being polluted. 

Recently, residents in Sathyamangalam complained that water discharged from Bhavanisagar dam into the river was found to be black in colour and odour emanating from it. They claimed that industries at Sirumugai in Coimbatore district were discharging untreated effluents into the river leading to pollution. 

Following this, officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Coimbatore, collected samples at various places from the river from Mettupalayam to Bhavanisagar dam. Also, a flying squad from TNPCB, Erode district, on April 16 lifted samples from the river at various places from the dam to Bhavani Kooduthurai. The samples were sent to the laboratory for testing. 

On Tuesday, functionaries of political parties, trade and farmers’ associations, social activists, took part in a meeting at Sathyamangalam that was chaired by former MLA P.L. Sundaram. They said that River Bhavani not only fulfills drinking water needs of people in Erode district, but also for the people in Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts. Water from the river is used for irrigating the ayacut areas coming under Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal, Thadapalli – Arakkankottai Canals, Kalingarayan Canal, and seepage from the river helps in recharging ground water, they said. “The river serves as a livelihood for people in Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Karur districts,” they said. 

Members said that people heaved a sigh of relief after the closure of a factory located on the banks of the river at Sirumugai a few years ago. “But, discharge of effluents into the river is a concern,” they said. They claimed that more people living along the river banks are diagnosed with cancer which was also highlighted in the Assembly session. Hence, the State government and the district administration should take steps and prevent discharge of effluents into the river by industries located along the banks of the river.