Date:13/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/13/stories/2008121354390500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Pipeline to discharge treated tannery effluents into sea proposed again

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The idea of laying a long pipeline to discharge treated effluents of tanneries in Vellore district to the sea was reiterated S. Balaji, member-secretary of the State Forest Commission and former Director of the State Environment department, here on Friday.

Participating in the inauguration of a multi-stakeholders’ dialogue organised by the Palar Future Group here on the problems of the Palar basin on Friday, Dr. Balaji emphasised that the elements such as chromium had to be eliminated before letting the effluents into the sea. He also referred to the discharge of domestic sewage into the Palar river and recalled that a project was mooted a few years ago to tackle the problem.

G. Viswanathan, Chancellor VIT University, Vellore, highlighted the need for linking rivers within the State. Though the yield in paddy production was higher in northern districts than in the Cauvery delta, the problem of water availability was forcing a number of farmers to give up farming. Citing the example of Natham village near Gudiyatham in Vellore district, he said water was not found even after digging borewells for 600 feet.

U. Sankar, academician and economist, called for regional cooperation to address inter-State river problems. S. Janakarajan, professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies, said around 62 per cent of cultivators in the Palar river basin were small landholders — up to 0.5 hectare. Even according to the 1996 data, paddy was raised in about 1.18 lakh hectares of the total of 1.81 lakh hectares.

A paper prepared by P.S. Subrahmanian, who was a member of the panel of lawyers of the erstwhile North Arcot District Legal Aid and Advice Committee, called for the strict implementation of various orders of the Supreme Court on the issue of pollution of the Palar river. No new licences should be given to start tanneries.

Jamuna Thiagarajan, founder of the group, said her organisation would work together with other non-government organisations in finding solutions to the Palar problems.