Untreated sewage continues to flow into Noyyal River in TN's Coimbatore as STP project stalled
Coimbatore, Aug 4
Despite receiving clearance from the National River Conservation Directorate under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, proposed sewage treatment plants aimed at preventing pollution of the Noyyal River have made little progress, leaving nine town panchayats in Coimbatore district continuing to discharge untreated wastewater into the river.
The STP project was approved in 2024 under the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery scheme to address sewage pollution from Irugur, Sulur, Kannampalayam, Vellalore, Perur, Pooluvapatti, Veerapandi, Alandurai and Thondamuthur.
The initiative envisages collecting and treating sewage generated by these local bodies before it reaches the Noyyal.
The project is considered crucial to improving the river's water quality and preventing further contamination of groundwater in areas along its course. However, nearly two years after approval, implementation of the proposed treatment facilities is yet to gather momentum.
The Noyyal, an important tributary of the Cauvery, originates in the Western Ghats in the Coimbatore district and flows for about 158.35 km through Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur districts before joining the Cauvery. Around 62.21 km of the river passes through Coimbatore district, where its water system includes 17 dams and 25 ponds. Discharge of untreated sewage from local bodies situated along the river has remained a major environmental concern.
Under the approved funding arrangement, the Centre is expected to meet 60 per cent of the project cost, while the Tamil Nadu government will contribute the remaining 40 per cent. Farmers along the Noyyal have expressed concern that the continued discharge of wastewater is contaminating groundwater and affecting agricultural activities.
Rajan Arunachalam, a farmer and member of a non-political farmers' association, said there had been virtually no progress on establishing the STPs after the initial announcement.
He said untreated wastewater continued to enter the river from the local bodies, resulting in groundwater pollution and making farming increasingly difficult in areas along the Noyyal.
He urged the authorities to implement the project without further delay. Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar said a proposal had been forwarded to the government to extend the project to local bodies situated along the Noyyal.
He said the project was currently at the Detailed Project Report stage and would be implemented after completion of the necessary procedures.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone living near Sulur, the stench during summers is unbearable. Groundwater around the river is unfit even for washing, forget drinking. The Collector says DPR is in progress, but why did it take 2 years just to prepare a report? We need these STPs urgently before the monsoon ruins the water table further.
I moved to Coimbatore for work and was shocked to see the river in this condition. In many countries, even smaller towns have functional STPs. India has the technology and the funds (60% central share!), but the implementation is always poor. Hope the district administration prioritizes this instead of just doing ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Respectfully, this is a failure at multiple levels. The town panchayats, the Public Works Department, and now the District Collector all point fingers. But who takes ownership? Our farmers are losing their livelihoods because of this pollution. I just attended a farmers' meeting in Perur last week, and the situation is worse than reported. The authorities should treat this as an emergency, not just another project.
Why is it always the same story - clearances happen, money gets allocated, but ground reality doesn't change. The Noyyal is sacred to our culture; it's not just a water body but a part of our identity. Meanwhile, our generation is responsible for handing over a polluted river to the next one. 😔 #SaveNoyyal
Good to see this being reported. Though I'm now in the US, my roots are in Coimbatore and I visit every year. The river degradation is heartbreaking. While CM's
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