Villagers oppose establishment of sewage treatment plant near Arcot

Residents of Pindithangal village close to Arcot in Ranipet district have been opposing the institution of a sewage remedy plant by the neighbouring Kalavai city panchayat of their village. They’re anxious that the groundwater desk will probably be contaminated in Pindithangal and the close by farming villages.

Residents say greater than 3,000 households reside in Pindithangal that comes beneath the Thimiri panchayat union. A lot of the households rely upon agriculture and weaving. The plant is proposed for the remedy of sewage from the households in Kalavai, round 5 km from Pindithangal.

Panchayat officers of Kalavai, which has over 20,000 residents, had been unable to find a plot within the city panchayat due to the excessive price. Therefore, they recognized land in Pindithangal, officers say.

Pindithangal residents level out that two lakes and some ponds within the village provide water for irrigation. “The sewage remedy plant could contaminate the groundwater within the space, affecting farming. The farmers in these villages — which have at the very least 1,400 acres beneath cultivation — rely upon borewells and waterbodies for irrigation,” says R. Vembu, a farmer.

Moreover, water for family consumption comes from these waterbodies. Native panchayats have sunk deep borewells across the lakes to pump water to the overhead tanks for home consumption.

Kalavai panchayat officers say the plant will probably be established on a 2.5-acre plot in a border space of the village beneath Swachh Bharat Mission at a value of ₹4.55 crore. It can deal with wastewater, primarily from households within the city and surrounding villages, for a nominal charge from every family. The recycled water will probably be used to water crops.

The mission is being applied by the Kannamangalam city panchayat. Panchayat officers say the shortage of land within the city limits has compelled them to establish a plot within the village for the plant.

Kalavai panchayat officers level out that many of the storm water drains within the city are used to discharge family wastewater, which flows into the close by lakes and ponds. The sewage remedy plant will assist to finish this unlawful discharge of wastewater into the drains and air pollution of the waterbodies. “The plant will probably be constructed within the village regardless of the opposition from the residents. They will enchantment to the Collector,” says S. Jayakumar, govt officer of the Kalavai city panchayat.