Residents and farmers from Vairapalayam have raised alarm over the discharge of untreated effluents from textile processing units into drains that flow directly into the River Cauvery. They allege that industrial waste is being released through household sewer lines—primarily during nighttime or rainy days to avoid detection.
Locals have reported a noticeable change in the river’s colour, triggering fears that textile units had resumed discharging waste openly.
Despite repeated complaints, residents claim no effective steps have been taken. They also accuse the Erode Corporation of contributing to the crisis by releasing untreated sewage into the river at Vairapalayam and Vendipalayam.
Effluents from textile units and domestic waste are reportedly being discharged into local channels like Perumpallam, Pichaikaranpallam, and Sunnambu Odai—all of which eventually drain into the Cauvery. In 2023, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified the Cauvery stretch in Erode as one of India’s most polluted due to sewage contamination.
While Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced in March 2024 that sewage treatment plants would be built within Corporation limits, residents say progress remains slow, with officials only in the early stages of preparing a project report.
