Latest news with #CombinedWaterSupplyScheme
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Boards warning that water is unfit for drinking put up at contaminated sources in Erode
With the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board declaring groundwater from 37 sources across four panchayats in Chennimalai Panchayat Union unfit for drinking, local bodies have put up boards and banners warning that the water is not potable. Samples from Mukasi Pidariyur, Vaipadi, Varapalayam, and Ingur panchayats, all located within a 12-km radius of SIPCOT, Perundurai, showed excessive levels of total dissolved solids, nitrate, calcium, and magnesium. Acting on the findings, the board directed the block development officer, Chennimalai Panchayat Union, to install red-marked boards at all affected sites. A senior official from the Office of the Assistant Director of Village Panchayats told The Hindu that warning notices had been placed at all the 37 sources. Groundwater here was earlier used only for domestic purposes, with residents receiving Cauvery water under the Combined Water Supply Scheme. Following the Collector's instructions, supply from the scheme has been increased from six to 12 hours a day in the affected panchayats, the official added. Perundurai SIPCOT Affected People's Welfare Association coordinator S. Chinnasamy said the groundwater contamination was due to the discharge of effluents from industries in SIPCOT and stressed the need for more tests in villages across the region. He also said that the process to establish the common effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Perundurai SIPCOT Industrial Park be expedited and the facility made operational at the earliest. It may be recalled that during a government function held near the Vijayamangalam toll gate in Perundurai on June 11, 2025, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that a CETP would be established at SIPCOT, Perundurai, at an estimated cost of ₹136.76 crore. The project, being executed by the Department of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, will use Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology and has a capacity to treat 2,000 kilolitres of effluents per day.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Water from 37 sources in four Chennimalai panchayats in Erode found unfit for consumption
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board has declared groundwater from 37 sources across four panchayats in the Chennimalai Union unfit for drinking, and directed local bodies to ensure it is not used for consumption. Samples were collected from electric motor and hand pumps, open wells, and overhead tanks in Mukasi Pidariyur (6 samples), Vaipadi (7), Varapalayam (9), and Ingur (15 samples), and tested at the Board's laboratory. Tests revealed excessive levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrate, cast iron, and total hardness (TH), indicating high concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions. Most samples exceeded permissible limits and failed to meet drinking water quality standards. In a letter dated March 7, 2025, to the Block Development Officer (Village Panchayats), Chennimalai Panchayat Union, TWAD Assistant Engineer (Administration) S.T. Saravanan said the water was unfit for consumption. He listed the affected locations and instructed that red-marked boards be installed, motors at these points be shut down, and residents be supplied water only through the Combined Water Supply Scheme (CWSS). Perundurai SIPCOT Affected People's Welfare Association coordinator S. Chinnasamy said all four panchayats lie within a 12-km radius of SIPCOT, Perundurai, and alleged that illegal operations of red and orange category industries were the main cause of the contamination. He urged that the common effluent treatment plant on the SIPCOT premises be completed and made operational. 'Groundwater contamination could spread within a 25-km radius. The TWAD Board should collect and test samples from surrounding areas, including Perundurai Municipality, Karumandi Chellipalayam Town Panchayat, and the villages of Kambiliyampatti, Paniyanpalli, and Punjai Palatholuvu,' he said. A senior official from the Office of the Assistant Director of Town Panchayats told The Hindu that inspections were conducted and residents confirmed they used groundwater only for domestic purposes, relying on water from River Cauvery supplied under the CWSS for drinking. He added that the residents' request for additional supply had been taken up with Collector S. Kandasamy, who directed TWAD to extend supply hours. 'Notice boards are being installed at all the spots,' the official added.
