Tirupur: In a district where farmers are relentlessly fighting against pollution caused by textile dyeing units, a farmer has allowed the same dyeing units to dump industrial effluents on his land.
The issue came to light after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials seized two septic tankers while they were transporting industrial effluents from a dyeing unit.
The farmer, P Palanisamy, has about one and a half acres at Aatthikadu near Mudhalipalayam Pirivu on Kangeyam Road. He has allegedly allowed septic tankers to dump industrial effluents on 0.75 acre and traces suggested that the effluent sediment could be 5ft in depth. He has charged Rs 500 per tanker. The effluents and sludge were dumped only during night hours. The land is located adjacent to abandoned stone quarries which were utilized by the Tirupur corporation for dumping municipal solid wastes.
K Murthi, a farmer, said, “We knew that Palanisamy was allowing dumping of septic tank sewage and sell the same sediment as manure. Though farmers and residents warned him, he continued to allow the dumping.”
“We came to know about the industrial effluent dumping only now. We fear that the effluent will soon affect the groundwater table as well as the soil,” Murthi said.
He said neither farmers nor residents were aware of the illegal dumping of effluents. They were not even ready to stop the pollution.
When contacted, Palanisamy said, “I used to cultivate sorghum in my land and have around 10 coconut trees. Since there was no rain, I couldn’t do cultivation.”
He added, “I gave permission to dump sewage only to get some manure. but I have never allowed the vehicles to release dyeing effluents. Without my knowledge, they have misused the land. I have decided to prevent all the tankers from entering my land.”
Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam-affiliated to AIKS vice-president S R Madhusudhanan said, “It is unfortunate that a farmer has allowed his own land to get polluted. Subsequently, neighbouring lands and groundwater would also get polluted. It was because of failure of monsoon. The pollution should be stopped.”
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on Tuesday recommended criminal action against the owner of two septic tankers utilized for transporting industrial effluents and Palanisamy.
“We have written to district sub-collector Swaran Kumar to take criminal action against tankers’ owner Krishnasamy and Palanisamy,” said Tirupur north district environmental engineer K Senthil Vinayagam.
The district administration has, meanwhile, directed officials to seize a tanker used to dump chemical wastes from a coconut oil unit into Noyyal river near Kuttapalayam in Kangeyam taluk.
