Illegal textile processing units pose a threat to farm sector in the region

The discharge of untreated effluents into the waterways in the district has increased substantially in the last few weeks as many unauthorised textile processing units have come up in Erode and its suburbs.

Sickness and infection owing to lack of water take their toll

The total area covered under the micro irrigation systems in the district has more than doubled during the last two years as many farmers are adopting effective water management practices in the wake of the drought.

In a period of three years starting from 2007-08, the farming community in the district installed drip and sprinkler systems to cover only about 3,500 hectares. But in the last two years, farmers installed micro irrigation systems covering more than 6,000 hectares.

Sathyamangalam forest in Erode district has been declared a Tiger Reserve. It is the fourth such reserve in Tamil Nadu. The three other tiger reserves are at Mudumalai in the Nilgiris district, Anamalai in Coimbatore district and Kalakad-Mundanthurai in Tirunelveli district.

The Forest Department has received the Government Order declaring Sathyamangalam Forests as a tiger reserve, and the Union government has also notified it, Conservator of Forests, Erode circle, A. Venkatesh told The Hindu over the phone on Monday.

‘Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will take steps to control pollution

The water flow in the Bhavani River has witnessed a substantial increase since last week and the farmers depending on the river for irrigation are gravely concerned. The reason - the water flow has gone up because the textile processing and tannery units are dumping thousands of gallons of untreated, toxic effluents in the river.

‘Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will take steps to control pollution’

The water flow in the Bhavani River has witnessed a substantial increase since last week and the farmers depending on the river for irrigation are gravely concerned. The reason - the water flow has gone up because the textile processing and tannery units are dumping thousands of gallons of untreated, toxic effluents in the river. “We will be happy if the flow increases due to the release of water from the Bhavanisagar dam. What the river receives now is huge amount of toxic effluents from the textile processing and tannery units,” points out district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association T. Subbu.

Lack of action from TNPCB encouraged industrial units to dump effluents

Officials are making tall claims that they have controlled pollution levels in the district. But the water carrying channels here tell a different, shocking story. The Kalingarayan canal, lifeline of more than 30,000 farmers in the district, carried huge amount of light blue colour liquid near Karungalpalayam and the area was enveloped in an acrid smell. In Bhavani and most other places, the colour of the water was dark green and in a few places, the canal carried dark red-coloured water.

They dump tonnes of effluents into Cauvery, Bhavani rivers that feed lands of thousands of farmers

Erode and Namakkal have emerged safe havens for scores of dyeing units that had to shut shop in Tirupur after the Madras High Court ordered their closure for flouting pollution norms two years ago. In spite of the efforts of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), several illegal units continue to flourish in these districts and dump tonnes of effluents into the Cauvery and Bhavani rivers that feed agricultural lands of thousands of farmers.

Many industrial units functioning near Kalingarayan Canal

Farmers in the Kalingarayan ayacut areas in the district are now forced to use water from Kalingarayan Canal that is mixed with untreated effluents and waste water discharged by textile processing and tannery units. The Public Works Department stopped on December 20 the discharge of water in the canal that feeds the ayacut. But the 56-and-a-half mile long irrigation canal connecting River Bhavani with River Noyyal still carries water. “The canal should be dry by this time. But there is still good flow in the canal because the industrial units are dumping thousands of gallons of untreated effluents and waste water every day,” alleges Kalingarayan Pasana Sabhai president V.M. Velayudham.

When the first flock of emus — flightless birds native to Australia — landed at Perundurai in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district in 2006, they drew the attention of only curious onlookers. Then they drew the attention of investors, enabling firms and businessmen offering schemes on the birds to rake in huge money. Six years on, the emus and the investors have been left in the lurch and the businessmen have allegedly taken flight with the invested money as emu contract farming joined the list of dubious investment schemes after a few years of roaring business.