COIMBATORE: Despite clearances from the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) meant to protect the Noyyal River remains stalled, forcing nine town panchayats in Coimbatore district to continue discharging untreated sewage into the waterway.
The project, sanctioned under the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery scheme, received approval in 2024 to treat wastewater collected from Irugur, Sulur, Kannampalayam, Vellalore, Perur, Pooluvapatti, Veerapandi, Alandurai and Thondamuthur.
The initiative was designed to stop raw sewage from mixing with the Noyyal and polluting both the river and the surrounding groundwater. Yet years later, progress has been minimal.
The Noyyal, a major tributary of the Cauvery, originates in the Western Ghats in Coimbatore district and travels 158.35 km through Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur before joining the main river. Within Coimbatore alone, it covers 62.21 km and is lined with 17 dams and 25 ponds.
Local bodies along its banks have long been identified as key sources of pollution. Under the approved scheme, the centre is expected to bear 60% of the cost while the state contributes the remaining 40%.
Farmers living along the river say the delay has turned their lands into a daily struggle. V S Kalisami, a farmer and member of farmers' association (non-political), expressed frustration over the lack of movement.
"After the announcement stage, there has been no improvement in setting up the STPs at the nine local bodies on the Noyyal for the last two years. Due to the delay, wastewater is directly discharged into the river by the local bodies. Farmers are badly affected as the groundwater has become polluted and we are unable to continue farming along the Noyyal," he said.
He urged the government to implement the project without any further delay.
District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar "We have sent a proposal to the government for extension of the project to local bodies on the River Noyyal. The project is under the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage. Soon, it will be implemented," he said.
