Stop pollution of Bhavani first: Residents

The Save Bhavani Trust, an NGO of residents of Mettupalayam and activists of the locality, submitted petition along with a report of the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage (TWAD) Board, dated October 29, 2016, on the quality of water flowing though the river to the Coimbatore collector on Monday and sought immediate action on the issue. 

“A report on the quality of water was alarming. It revealed that coliform and hazardous chemicals were found at more than permissible limit,” secretary of the trust M Su Mani said.  “Every day, hundreds of people living in the town’s periphery defecate in the open space on the banks of the river. Adding to the problem, many houses drain their sewage into the river through pipes. The sewage from municipal areas and from the Mettupalayam Government Hospital are also being released into the river,” he lamented. 

Another major threat was the chemical waste from three industries, including a bleaching unit and a paper manufacturing unit, that were escalating the pollution of the river. “The units claim compliance to the effluent treatment norms. But, their claim should be confirmed through an inspection by the pollution control board and other agencies,” he said. Stagnation of water in the two barrages across the river at Oomapalayam and Samayapuram for power generation for months have affected the drinking water supply to the town.