ERODE: The Bhavani River Protection Joint Movement has urged the state government to set up a panel to monitor pollution in the Bhavani River. It cited the adverse impact on health due to the rising pollution of the river depended on by people in four districts and urged action against polluters/
The members of the association met state Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy and District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara on Friday and submitted a petition in this regard.
PL Sundaram, Ex-MLA and chief coordinator of the Movement, in his letter to the minister and collector, stated, "The Bhavani River is the main source of drinking water for Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and Karur districts. Millions of people use this river water for drinking, agriculture and livestock. As the river is continuously polluted by industrial sewage and by local bodies, Bhavani water consumers arre prone to various diseases. Erode has become one of the districts with the highest number of cancer patients in the state."
"Bhavani river water has been changing colour for the past few days. Also, the water has a bad smell.. Appropriate action should be taken against factories and local bodies that pollute river water. In addition, the state government should constitute a Bhavani River Pollution Monitoring Committee comprising representatives from the Water Resources Department, Revenue Department, Pollution Control Board, and public welfare outfits to monitor the pollution of the Bhavani River," he added.
The Bhavani River Protection Joint Movement includes various political parties, farmers' associations and voluntary organisations. It has been fighting against the pollution of the Bhavani River for the last two years.ions. It has been fighting against the pollution of the Bhavani River for the last two years.