Chennai, May 25 (BPNS)
Noyyal river that passes through Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts was in the news of high pollutants due to the effluents from dyeing units of the Tiruppur garment industry. Environmentalists and local people had joined hands to prevent the river from death by strong agitations and putting up effluent treatment plants in each of the garment units of Tiruppur thus leading to the pollution in the river coming down.
However Noyyal river which is a tributary of Cauvery is again in the news after huge quantities of medical waste was seen dumped in the river. Farmers in Tiruppur district are up in arms against the pollution of the river by dumping medical waste.
K. Arokyasamy, a farmer at Tiruppur while speaking to BPNS said, “Noyyal river is one of the major sources of watering of our farmlands and the river getting polluted by medical waste is creating difficulties for the farmers of the area. The authorities concerned must take immediate action to prevent the river from death.”
The Noyyal River Farmers Welfare Association is spearheading the agitation against destroying the river. The leader of the association, K.S. Thirunana Sambadam while speaking to IANS said,” Noyyal river was in the news earlier for pollution from textile dying units and after strong agitations Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CFTP) were installed thus bringing down pollution.”
He however said that the river is now facing pollution from dumping of medical waste and added that waste is being dumped at places like Samalapuram, Somanur and other isolated spots of Tiruppur district.
He said that water from streams flowing from the river has turned dark and green due to pollution from medical waste and large quantities of used syringes and other medical wastes were found floating in the river at many spots.
The farmers allege that some private hospitals are behind this and want authorities to probe whether medical waste from Kerala is also being dumped into the river. It may be recalled that farmers in Theni in Tamil Nadu had complained of medical waste from Southern Kerala being dumped into vacant farmlands in Theni creating a major uproar a few months before.
Syringes and other medical waste were found in Mangalam pond and in Andipalayam ponds with expired medicines and used injection vials also found in the water.
The Tirruppur district administration told BPNS that strict action is being taken against dumping of medical waste in Noyyal river and the pollution control board is checking the quality of water.
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