TNPCB tests water samples, finds them extremely unsafe

Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials have collected

water

samples from the Karattamedu and Thekkampatti sections of the Bhavani river after reports of death of hundreds of fishes were reported.

A few days ago, hundreds of fishes were found afloat in the Karattumedu section of the river and also in a private

well

on Bhadra Kaliamman koil street.

M Malaiyandi, district environmental engineer of the

TNPCB

, said: “We collected the samples and conducted tests on the spot and found that the dissolved oxygen level, which should be a minimum 4mg/litre was 2.1mg/litre in the river. This was mainly because sewage and other contaminants were entering the river and stagnating near the barrage. We also checked the dissolved oxygen level in the Thekkampatti section where another barrage was set up and there we found it was 8.21mg/litre,” he said. They checked the TDS levels and found that near the Karattumedu section the TDS was 135mg/litre and at Thekkampatti it was 150mg/litre. “As per norms, up to 2,100mg/litre was allowed and it should be below 500mg/litre for drinking purposes,” said Malaiyandi. This TDS level goes to prove that it is not the dissolved salts from the textile industry but sewage from the municipality that is the main reason for the contamination, he added.

Activists said the Bhavani is the main source of water supply for the Mettupalayam municipality and several town and village panchayats. “With reports of fishes dying in the wells and in the river, we are extremely worried about the quality of the water as this is supplied to residents of Mettupalayam. Apart from this, some colleges located in the area use water from these regions for bathing and washing,” said M Jaikumar, joint secretary of the Save Bhavani Trust.

Doctors in Mettupalayam said such deaths of fishes often meant that the water was extremely unsafe and could even cause cancer to the users. “Contaminated water causes not just skin diseases, but also can result in cancer. The authorities need to look into this and take action,” said Dr N Mageshwaran.