On Friday morning, the residents of Samayapuram near Bhavani river were shocked to witness oil-like effluents floating in the waters of Bhavani river. Despite repeated appeals to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on the discharge of industrial effluents into the river, also a drinking water source to those in Mettuapalayam, the oil discharge had appalled the residents of the area who fall a prey to water -borne diseases often.

Prof. Dr.M Jaikumar, Secretary of Save Bhavani Trust , an organization working towards saving river Bhavani from pollutants, claimed that the effluents were allegedly discharged by a terry products manufacturing plant located in the banks of Bhavani river.

These waters reach the residents of Thondamuthur for drinking water consumption, after being accumulated in the barracks. The water for the Coimbatore Smart City Project is also being taken from the same Samayapuram area where the water was found contaminated this morning.

Advocate R Santhamurthy of the Save Bhavani Trust has filed a complaint with the Taluk office of Mettupalayam and insisted on immediate action on those discharging the effluents. A report submitted by the TNPCB on the Bhavani river, which is a drinking water source to 1.5 lakh residents of Mettuapalayam, has in 2017 indicated that the water is so polluted that it is unfit for consumption. Besides the chemicals and iron values found in excess, the water also contains fecal coliform, the bacteria found in human feces.

The Thasildhar of Mettupalayam told The Covai Post, that he has sent his team to the spot to investigate and verify the authenticity of the video footage received. “If proven true, we will report the incident and file a complaint with the TNPCB.

The members of Save Bhavani Trust are working with the residents of Mettupalayam for the past few years to actively stop Bhavani river water contamination. They have staged various protests in the city and filed numerous complaints to the TNPCB which have unfortunately fallen into deaf ears.