The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Rally against pollution of rivers

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Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Rally against pollution of rivers

Staff Reporter

By dyeing and bleaching units in Karur

KARUR: Farmers in the district have called upon authorities to ensure that the dyeing and bleaching units as also the TNPL let out treated or untreated effluents into the Cauvery, the Amaravathy and the Noyyal. They organised a rally here on Monday.

Stating that their primary concern was prevention of fertile fields from getting polluted by effluents, farmers and pollution-affected people from various parts of the district congregated here and demanded that the effluents should be treated and recycled for in-house use and not let out to pollute the neighbourhood as directed by the State Government.

They demanded that the dyeing and bleaching units stop forthwith the practice of draining the effluents deep into the soil through borewells.

They demanded that areas such as Sanapiratti, Melapalayam, Puliyur, Verarakkiam, Koyampalli and Emur that have been largely affected should get potable water supply on a war-footing.

Not just public but cattle and poultry have also been affected by the sustained pollution that has stalked the district for the past several decades. Pointedly women had developed infertility problem. Several heads of cattle have developed infertility problem, suffered abortion or premature-delivery, diarrohea, etc. and the mortality rate has increased.

In affected lands there has been a very high rate of seeds not germinating and the State Government should step in immediately to stop the degradation of soil and ecology.

Another resolution called upon the State Government to stop indiscriminate sand mining in the Cauvery and the Amaravathy to protect precious drinking water sources. Speakers cautioned that they would be forced to wage a protracted struggle till such time the State Government responded positively to our demands.

Those who participated in the rally that started from Puliyur and ended at RDO office in the town included former MLA T.N. Sivasubramanian, District Groundwater Protection Forum and Association of Pollution Affected People K. Ramasamy, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam president K. Sellamuthu, president of Lower Bhavani Farmers’ Association S. Nallasamy, president of the Noyyal River Aycutdars Association A.P. Kandasamy, chairperson of SWATE Women’s Movement Christy.

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