MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials stated that the giant froth and foam found floating across the Sellur tank a couple of days ago showed no trace of industrial discharge in the tank.
City residents and environmentalists were in shock to see the huge-thick foam of 15-foot height in Sellur tank that got accumulated on the bridge causing traffic bottleneck in the locality. Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Service Department were pressed to clear foam from the road by spraying water onto the foam.
Many including, social activists and Madurai MP Su Venkatesan expressed doubts over mixing of toxic substances into the tank that could have caused the formation of foam. Meanwhile, the officials from TNPCB also took samples of the water for testing.
Speaking to TNIE, the District Environmental Engineer at TNPCB, Pandiyarajan, said, "The direct discharge of household sewage and growth of water hyacinth that has occupied a major portion of the tank has contaminated the water. Further, change in the turbulence of water flow at Sellur tank passed through the chain of water bodies, led to the formation of foam. There is no trace of industrial or any textile chemical mixed in the water as alleged by the activists," he said.
In 2011, 15 wards from the north of Vaigai river and 13 wards from the south of Vaigai were annexed to Madurai Municipal Corporation.
Officials from the civic body told TNIE that only 10 per cent works for Rs 291.37-crore-worth underground sewerage system (UGSS) to the 15 wards in the north of Vaigai under Smart City Mission were completed.
"The estimated time for completion of the project is February 2022. Meanwhile, A detailed project report is being prepared for the underground drainage connections to the 13 wards in south of Vaigai," officials added.
While it would take at least two years to stop the discharge of household sewage from northern Vaigai, the civic body is to establish a mini 2 MLD sewage treatment plant near Alwarpuram to prevent the contaminated water from entering Vaigai river.