Samples show 10 times increase in pollutant levels
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
Chennai: When former CM J. Jayalalithaa inaugurated Rs 1,928-crore Hogenakkal Combined Water Supply Scheme in May 2013, it was like a dream come true for people of parched and fluoride-affected districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. However, the assumptions may not be all that accurate. The Cauvery River water that is flowing into Hogenakkal from Karnataka is getting polluted with 593 MLD (millions of litres per day) of ‘untreated or partially treated’ sewage water generated by Bengaluru city on a daily basis.
Reliable sources in the state government told the Deccan Chronicle that chief secretary of Tamil Nadu K. Gnanadesikan has issued order to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) last month to check the facts and initiate urgent measures. The TN government is also planning to write to Karnataka government seeking explanation on the rationale behind releasing sewage water into fresh waters of TN.
As per the directives, TNPCB authorities did water sampling this week and the results are worrisome. The Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) test carried out for five days on water samples collected from the upstream of the Cauvery River where the pollutants are allegedly joining the fresh waters show a steep rise in pollutants levels, in fact, 10 times higher than the normal range. The average acceptable BOD range is 3 milligrams per litre, but it was recorded at 29 mg per litre, which confirms the fact that the sewage water that is let out is not properly treated or not treated at all. BOD is often used as a robust surrogate of the degree of organic pollution of water.
( Source : dc )
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