Treated wastewater from paper factory irrigates sugarcane fields

A hub of dyeing units in Tamil Nadu, Pallipalayam is an exhibition of groundwater pollution from industry. The Cauvery river is joined by steady streams of industrial effluents; tannery units upstream have already done their bit. In the heart of this industrial darkness is a story of farmer-industry simpatico that began in the 1980s.
A paper factory treats its effluent and gives it to about 500 farmer families to irrigate their sugarcane fields in about 650 hectares (ha). The farmers sell the cane to a sugar mill, which extracts the juice from it to make sugar