Residents oppose proposed plan to discharge treated wastewater into tank near Sulur in Coimbatore

Residents of Nagamanaickenpalayam near Sulur in the district on Friday (September 25) staged a protest, demanding authorities to drop proposed desilting of a tank and plan to fill it with treated wastewater.

Tension prevailed as protesters gheraoed Sulur MLA N.M. Sukumar and hurled stones at him as he arrived to launch the desilting works at the tank that is spread over 70 acres.

The protesters stated that the water accumulating in the tank during rainy season helped recharge groundwater, resulting in water availability in open wells and borewells in the surrounding areas. They stated that farming on hundreds of acres around the pond solely depended on the groundwater. Hence, releasing treated wastewater into the pond will affect the quality of the groundwater in the long-run, they argued.

As Mr. Sukumar and supporters of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) arrived for the launch of the desilting work, the protesters gheraoed them. They demanded that the natural character of the pond should not be altered and insisted that only rainwater should be harvested.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking ceremony for the desilting work was conducted with police protection. This led to a minor commotion and some of the enraged protesters hurled stones at the MLA and TVK supporters. The protesters were dispersed by the police following the incident.