The indiscriminate act of dumping hazardous solid waste on the roadsides has commenced once again in Erode town and its suburbs. More than 50 bags of sludge from the textile processing and tannery units have been dumped in Choolai, a thickly populated residential colony in Erode town on Wednesday.

Though the activity had been going on, on the sly, for years in different parts of the district, the units had stopped the dumping for a brief period as the officials in the revenue department and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) stepped up the vigilance.

The practice of washing the dyed fabrics in River Cauvery still remains unchecked in the district, adding more pollution to the river water that is already too dirty and becoming unfit for human consumption.

The units have been carrying out the practice with much impunity and the authorities here have not initiated any serious efforts to deter them. Many units resort to the practice of washing the toxic dyes and dirt from the fabrics in the river as it is much cheaper and it involves less trouble.

Reckless behaviour of devotees at Kooduthurai is one reason; HR & CE Department workers too responsible

The River Cauvery is fast turning into a garbage dump at Kooduthurai, a famous religious spot located in Bhavani. Huge amount of discarded cloths, garlands, pooja materials, polythene bags and other waste end up in the river every day, leaving this holy site to stink.

Though the district level coordination committee directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to register cases with the police against the owners of illegal textile processing units and those who rented their land for establishment of such units, not a single case has been filed so far.

The committee, established based on the directions of the Madras High Court, had give clear instructions to the TNPCB authorities a few weeks ago, asking them to file complaints so that the police could initiate criminal action against those running illegal textile processing units and those providing their lands for such units.

Colour of water turned black and acidic smell emanated

While people in the world observing the World Environment Day and discussing measures to protect the Earth on Tuesday, it is business as usual for many textile processing and tannery units in Erode district. A few textile processing and tannery units located in BP Agraharam and its nearby areas dumped huge amount of untreated, toxic effluents in a water carrying channel that flows into Cauvery River. The colour of the water turned black in the channel and the acidic smell emanated from the effluents.

No positive action taken till date to sort out problem of discharging untreated effluents into water sources

While people in the world observing the World Environment Day and discussing measures to protect the Mother Nature on Tuesday, it is business as usual for many textile processing and tannery units in Erode district. A few textile processing and tannery units located in BP Agraharam and its nearby areas dumped huge amount of untreated, toxic effluents in a water carrying channel that flows into Cauvery River. The colour of the water turned black in the channel and the acidic smell emanated from the effluents.

The discovery of over 100 bags of toxic solid waste buried in an agricultural land near Chennimalai has shocked the farming community and environmental activists.

A team of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials conducted a surprise check in a textile processing unit near Chennimalai following complaints from the public and found huge amount of solid waste generated in the unit had been buried deep in a nearby agricultural land. Officials found several bags of toxic, untreated solid waste buried in the land and excavated over 100 bags from the land.

Residential areas covered by blanket of smoke for five days

Vendipalayam and many other residential areas near the town are covered by a blanket of smoke for the past five days as heaps of garbage dumped in the Erode Corporation's yard continue to burn. A major fire broke out in the yard in Vendipalayam last Sunday night. The flames spread quickly to most parts of the yard despite the efforts made by the fire and rescue services personnel along with workers from the civic body to put out the fire.

Landlords who let out space will also be punished

The district co-ordination committee, which was established based on the Madras High Court order to monitor the polluting industrial units, has decided to initiate criminal action against the owners of illegal textile processing units and those providing lands on rent to set up such units. The Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) have been directed to file a complaint with the police against the owners of the units and the landlords.

Those providing lands on rent to such units will also be punished

The district co-ordination committee, which was established based on the Madras High Court order to monitor the polluting industrial units, has decided to initiate criminal action against the owners of illegal textile processing units and those providing lands on rent to set up such units.