TIRUPPUR: Fears of drinking water contamination with human faeces gripped the Goundanaickenpalayam locality in Tiruppur city on Friday after two young men were found suspiciously atop a municipal water tank the previous day.
Residents complained to municipal authorities that human faeces were mixed in the local drinking water tank. However, Tiruppur Corporation Commissioner S Ramamoorthy refuted the claim. In a bid to convince the locals about water purity, public representatives drank water from the tank after cleaning it.
Sources said, two watermen appointed by the corporation monitors the 50-foot-high water tank with a capacity of 17.5 lakh litres in Goundanaickenpalayam under Ward 6 of the Tiruppur Corporation. The apprehension on the pollution of the tank arose after two youths were allegedly seen sitting on the steps leading to the tank on Thursday morning.
Residents handed them over to the Tiruppur North Police. Subsequently, some of them went to the top of the tank to check, and found milk packets, newspapers, cigarettes and garbage. The public suspecting that unidentified individuals may have mixed human faeces in the tank, filed a complaint with the municipal corporation.
They inspected the tank, drained the water and cleaned the tank. Locals gathered in front of the tank on Friday morning again and alleged that human faeces had been mixed into the tank.
Subsequently, the Corporation Second Zone Chairman R Govindaraj, Ward Councillor KP Gopalsamy and officials held talks with the public. They rejected the public's claim and proved it by drinking the water, following which the public dispersed.
Speaking to TNIE, Corporation Commissioner S Ramamoorthy said, "There was no sign of human faeces in the water tank. The public became suspicious because unknown people were seen near the top of the tank. The duo went to the top while the watermen were sleeping. I have ordered officials to clean the tank in response to public demand.
I have also asked officials to fix surveillance cameras around the tank and raise the perimeter wall." Councillor KP Gopalsamy said, "When we caught the duo, there were four one-litre milk packets on top of the tank. When asked if they had stolen the packets, they said they had nothing to do with it and claimed they had come to see friends. The police should seriously investigate this."
Meanwhile, Tiruppur North Police on Friday arrested the duo caught by the public for climbing to the top of the tank without permission. They were identified as S Sanjeev (22) and S Nishanth (19) of Neruperichal. Further investigation is under way.