Pettavaithlai sugar factory Effluent discharged water in irrigation channel is the pain in neck of farmers of the neighbourhoods.

The blackish effluent discharged water stagnated in canal

effluent water discharge- undernourished banana cultivation-

“Pettavaithlai sugar factory Effluent discharged water in irrigation channel is the pain in neck of farmers of the neighborhoods” one of the farmers said. One of the sugar factories is located in a small town, Pettavaithalai, situated between Trichy and Karur and the distance from Pettavaithalai to Trichy is 24 kms is situated by the river Cauvery in Tamilnadu, India and Pettavaithalai is the takeoff point for the Uyyakondan canal which is the major irrigation canal for the fertile lands in Trichy district and this town belongs to Hon’ble Chief Minister’s own Srirangam Assembly Constituency of Tamilnadu. It is good to note that this is one of the very few factories that has a captive power plant. The concern here is the pollution of the sugar factory. It is alleged that this sugar mill generates about 1,000 litres of wastewater for per tonne of cane crushed; the effluent is mainly floor washing wastewater. The sugar mill effluent appears relatively clean initially, however after stagnating for sometime, it turns black and start emitting foul odour, as effluent is discharged, in water courses, It depletes dissolved oxygen In water and makes the environment unfit for aquatic life. This effluent discharged water is diverted in irrigation canals and is being used for cultivation of rice, banana etc and effluent is discharged water on irrigation land affects the irrigation land, decaying organic solids and oil and grease clog the soil pores and also affects the quality of underground water. Fly ash is very light it escapes in the atmosphere through chimney and travels long distances, One can see the flyash elements get deposited in the residential and adjacent irrigation areas which generates environment degeneration. The irrigation water canals where It is further alleged that this effluent of Pettavaithlai sugar factory discharged water is diverted into irrigation canal which irrigates hundreds of acres in Sirugadu and Sangliandapuram, S.Pudukottai and Sirugamani villages etc.The land   loses its fertility and the farmers are not able to get the desired yield of crops as this effluent of Pettavaithlai sugar factory discharged water gets mixed with fresh Uyyakondan irrigation channel water. As the Cauvery delta is already suffering for want of irrigation water, this effluent of Pettavaithlai sugar factory discharged water is the pain in neck of farmers of these villages. The bushes in Sirukadu canal needs to be cleared so that effluent of Pettavaithlai sugar factory discharged will not get stagnated in the canal by polluting fresh water for irrigation. The farmers appeal the sugar factory authorities to visit these areas and undertake remedial activities under their CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility projects.-Govin