The water the Mettupalayam Municipality supplies has suffered a steady deterioration in taste, complains N. Suseela Nachimuthu, a resident of L.S. Puram. This has happened in the past three months.
She does not have a problem with the duration of supply, though, which is every alternate day.
In the nearby Chikkadasampalayam Panchayat, the water quality is bad. And so is the quantity. The village panchayat supplies water once in 10 days or so and it is muddy, complains resident N. Venkataraman. The quality deteriorates in the days after supply.
Both the Mettupalayam Municipality and the Chikkadasampalayam Panchayat tap the River Bhavani water.
The former draws 11 million litres a day and the latter a couple of million litres a day.
The two local bodies and a host of others including the Tirupur Corporation tap the water in Chennamalai Karadu in Oompalayam, where the Tangedco has constructed a barrage to store water and generate hydro-electric power.
The barrage stores not the river water, but the water that is contaminated with domestic and industrial sewage and the Mettupalayam Municipality lets out untreated sewage just ahead of the barrage.
The barrage is the second of the two barrages the Tangedco had constructed to generate hydro-electric power. The first barrage is near the Bhadrakaliamman Kovil.
By storing the water released from the Pilloor Reservoir in the first barrage, generating power and then releasing the water to the second barrage, the Tangedco is stopping the free flow of water in the River.
As a result of this, the sewage gets stagnated near the second barrage and that is the reason for the deterioration in water quality, complains T.T. Rangasamy, president, Bhavani River Water and Ground Water Protection Committee.
The Tangedco had constructed the first barrage in March 2016 and the second in December 2013 to generate 5 mw power each.
The Mettupalayam Municipality too has taken up the issue with the State Government.
Municipal chairman D. Satheesh Kumar says that though the Municipality has been discharging sewage into the River, there was no problem because of the undisturbed water flow.
Now with the Tangedco authorities storing up to 30 feet water near the second barrage, the sewage flow is obstructed and that has led to the deterioration.
Free Water Flow
The Tangedco officials should allow free flow of the water in the second barrage after storing and generating water in the first barrage until the Mettupalayam Municipality completed the sewage treatment plant work.
The current status of the sewage treatment plant work is that the civic body has sent a proposal for Rs. 92 crore to the State Government.
Tangedco officials were not available for comments.
She does not have a problem with the duration of supply, though, which is every alternate day.
In the nearby Chikkadasampalayam Panchayat, the water quality is bad. And so is the quantity. The village panchayat supplies water once in 10 days or so and it is muddy, complains resident N. Venkataraman. The quality deteriorates in the days after supply.
Both the Mettupalayam Municipality and the Chikkadasampalayam Panchayat tap the River Bhavani water.
The former draws 11 million litres a day and the latter a couple of million litres a day.
The two local bodies and a host of others including the Tirupur Corporation tap the water in Chennamalai Karadu in Oompalayam, where the Tangedco has constructed a barrage to store water and generate hydro-electric power.
The barrage stores not the river water, but the water that is contaminated with domestic and industrial sewage and the Mettupalayam Municipality lets out untreated sewage just ahead of the barrage.
The barrage is the second of the two barrages the Tangedco had constructed to generate hydro-electric power. The first barrage is near the Bhadrakaliamman Kovil.
By storing the water released from the Pilloor Reservoir in the first barrage, generating power and then releasing the water to the second barrage, the Tangedco is stopping the free flow of water in the River.
As a result of this, the sewage gets stagnated near the second barrage and that is the reason for the deterioration in water quality, complains T.T. Rangasamy, president, Bhavani River Water and Ground Water Protection Committee.
The Tangedco had constructed the first barrage in March 2016 and the second in December 2013 to generate 5 mw power each.
The Mettupalayam Municipality too has taken up the issue with the State Government.
Municipal chairman D. Satheesh Kumar says that though the Municipality has been discharging sewage into the River, there was no problem because of the undisturbed water flow.
Now with the Tangedco authorities storing up to 30 feet water near the second barrage, the sewage flow is obstructed and that has led to the deterioration.
Free Water Flow
The Tangedco officials should allow free flow of the water in the second barrage after storing and generating water in the first barrage until the Mettupalayam Municipality completed the sewage treatment plant work.
The current status of the sewage treatment plant work is that the civic body has sent a proposal for Rs. 92 crore to the State Government.
Tangedco officials were not available for comments.