TIRUNELVELI: The Tirunelveli Corporation continues to pollute the Thamirabarani river by releasing large volumes of untreated sewage despite decade-long efforts through the judiciary to prevent it, activists said. They demanded the formation of the Thamirabarani River Rejuvenation Commission, an expert panel to address the issue.
S P Muthuraman, an environmentalist who has been in a legal battle for over 10 years seeking cleanliness of the Thamirabarani river, told TNIE that the corporation has been putting lives at risk by releasing untreated sewage at more than 15 places, including Sindupoondurai, Udaiyarpatti, Kokkirakulam, Kailasapuram, and Meenakshipuram.
He added, “The corporation commissioners have been misleading both the judiciary and the public for years. While hearing the case filed by writer and activist Muthalakurichi Kamaraj, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court judges G R Swaminathan and B Pugalendhi, in November 2024, inspected multiple locations on the river banks where untreated sewage is being released, and noted that the Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS), constructed at various locations inside the riverbed, were ineffective.
Responding to that, the then commissioner N O Sukhaputra said that a mini-sewage treatment plant would be set up to prevent sewage from mixing into the river until all phases of the Underground Sewerage System (UGSS) are completed.”
He further said, “The corporation also assured the judges that it would complete Phase 2 of the UGSS by March and Phase 3 by September and completely stop sewage discharge into the river. However, the promises were not fulfilled. In 2011, I got to know about the locations in the riverbed where the sewage was discharged, and after 14 years, the sewage discharge has been continuing at the same places. During a hearing in 2015, to mislead the National Green Tribunal, a DEWATS was constructed. Now, they are misleading the high court judges too.”
In a report submitted before the high court after the judges’ visit, the district administration stated that the analysis of treated and bypassed sewage samples collected between January and October 2024 revealed that parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and fecal coliform exceeded the standards.
Hence, the corporation commissioner was instructed to dismantle all DEWATS structures located within the river and not include them in new schemes.” Muthuraman added that the Thamirabarani river is on the verge of becoming another Cooum unless an exclusive river rejuvenation commission is formed.
“The district environmental engineer had recommended imposing Rs 28 crore as penalty on the corporation in 2021 against the sewage discharge. However, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has not taken any step in this regard. The judicial magistrate court has agreed to hear my petition seeking criminal action against the corporation,” he added.
When contacted, corporation commissioner Monika Rana said the civic body has submitted a detailed project report on the implementation of the Riverfront Development Project to stop sewage discharge into the Thamirabarani.
She added, “We have completed 95 per cent of the Phase 2 UGSS works, with only ‘house-to-house connections’ pending. In two or three months, phase 2 will be operational to reduce sewage flow, while phase 3 UGSS will be ready by March 2026. At present, sewage from damaged Phase 1 UGSS pipelines is mixing into the river. We will focus on 23 spots along the riverbank under the Riverfront Development Programme to make the river clean.”