Members of the Save Bhavani Trust, a people’s movement to save the Bhavani river system, organised a demonstration in front of the Collectorate demanding that the polluted water stored in two barrages laid across Bhavani river near Mettupalayam be released to prevent health hazards due to which denizens of Mettupalayam have been highly affected.

Led by its Secretary M.Su. Mani, the members said that the drinking water is pumped through the pumping stations in Bhavani river to Mettupalayam, Tiruppur, Kaundampalayam and Athikadavu.

Due to stagnant water that is kept in cold storage in the two barrages, the drinking water, which is tapped from the river bed, is much polluted, due to which diarrhoeal and skin diseases have become rampant among the local population.

“Scores of people have been affected by diarrhoeal and skin diseases and the out-patients attending the Government Hospital in Mettupalayam have doubled since the construction of the barrages in 2012 and 2016, due to rising pollution levels from tanning units and a paper factory situated in the vicinity. The district administration should expedite steps to release water from the two barrages to avoid health hazards recurring in Mettupalayam town,” Mani said.