COIMBATORE: The establishment of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) has brought down the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and the E Coli bacteria content in two water bodies in the city and the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) plans to build more STPs.
Around eight waterbodies, including the Ukkadam Periyakulam, Valankulam, Selvampathy, Krishnampathy, Kumarasamy, Selvachinthmani, Kurichi and Singanallur, come under the control of the civic body. In order to stop pollution, the civic body installed STP of one MLD ˍcapacity at Ukkadam Periyakulam and Valankulam in 2018. This resulted in bringing down the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and the E Coli bacteria content in the water.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said, “After we set up the STP in Valankulam, the BOD level dropped from 500 in 2018 to 23 in 2023. Similarly, E Coli content reduced from 8,000 in 2018 to 300 in 2023. We plan to install STP in all water bodies under our control. Currently, works for setting up STPs is in progress at Singanallur, and Krishnampathy tanks.”
Although the civic body has been setting up STPs to curb pollution in the water bodies, environmentalists are pointing out the sewage, human and other waste are being drained in the Noyyal river near Puttuviki and demanded the civic body to take action towards addressing the issue.