Erode residents report high textile industry pollution levels

Residents and farmers in Vairapalayam, Erode, have raised fresh concerns about rising pollution levels in the River Cauvery, blaming the discharge of untreated effluents from textile processing units. Locals allege that industrial waste is being released into household sewer lines, often at night or during rain, to avoid detection.

A visible change in the river’s colour has heightened fears that textile units have resumed discharging waste openly, Apparel Resources India reported. Despite multiple complaints, residents claim there has been no meaningful action. The Erode Corporation has also come under criticism, with locals accusing it of releasing untreated domestic sewage into the Cauvery at Vairapalayam and Vendipalayam.

According to residents, effluents and domestic waste are being released into local channels such as Perumpallam, Pichaikaranpallam, and Sunnambu Odai, all of which eventually flow into the Cauvery. In 2023, the Central Pollution Control Board named the Erode stretch of the river among the most polluted in the country due to sewage discharge.

In March 2024, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced plans to build sewage treatment plants within corporation limits. However, residents report little progress, saying the project remains in its early stages, with only the groundwork for a detailed report currently underway.