CHAPTER III

PALAR RIVER BASIN

INTRODUCTION

In the past few centuries, there has been a great escalation in the global fresh

water requirements, while its per capita availability has declined drastically. Search

for ways to counteract the challenge of fresh water scarcities had been taken up by

communities, national governments and international organisations. Heavy

investments in engineering structures have opened the possibilities of withdrawing

more and more water from the natural sources like lakes, rivers and the ground

water aquifers. More than half of all accessible global fresh water runoff is

currently withdrawn for human uses. The consequence is that drastic reductions

have taken place in the amount of water remaining in stream causing degradation of

the aquatic eco-systems which affects various services provided by them.

The example of the Nile in Egypt, the Ganges in South Asia, the Amu Darya

and Syr Darya in Central Asia, the Yellow river in China, the Colorado river in

North America and diverted – to such an extent that for parts of the year, little or

none of their fresh water flow reaches the sea. In this background, this chapter

presents the level of load of water pollution existing in different states of India,

which is followed by listing of industries causing pollution by both output intensity

and employment intensity methods. Various kinds of pollution cause environmental

costs and these costs have been estimated by many scholars. A snapshot of average

annual environmental costs by different sources is also presented. Pollution of river

water has been a major problem in many countries including India. Thus, the
 59

government has laid down quality criteria for best designated water use, which are

also analysed here. The final section analyses the condition of the Palar river basin

which is taken as the main aspect of this study. The anicut system of the river, its

irrigation practices, and the water market created by this river are also discussed.

Moreover, many industries which are functioning on the basin of this river have

caused serious pollution to this river. This river, which runs through many districts

has caused ground water and surface water pollution. This chapter also provides the

details of water pollution caused by this river, particularly in the Kanchipuram

district and Kanchipuram town.

LOAD OF WATER POLLUTION IN INDIA

Pollution of river water by industrial effluents, human activities and others

is a global phenomenon, and in India also, it has been taking place in almost all the

States. An attempt had been made to estimate industrial pollution in India using the

‘Industrial Pollution Projection System’ (IPPS). This method was originally

developed by the World Bank to assess the levels of pollution by making use of the

data from the developed countries and converting them into pollution intensity-

coefficients. A similar method has been applied in India and the data on water

pollution by various sources have been collected. It is based on output intensity

method, i.e., the pollution data are estimated by using the total output of each

industry in each State. The estimated pollution load for the different States is

presented in Table – 3.1.

The States are arranged in the decreasing order of water pollution load,

which is calculated by using the output intensity method. It shows that river water

pollution is widespread and only the degree of impact varies among the States.
 60

Table - 3.1 Water Pollution Load Using Output Intensity, 2013

Pollution Load
Sl. No. State (in tonnes of BOD*)
Amount Per centage
1 Bihar 321494 17.10
2 Madhya Pradesh 243125 12.94
3 Maharashtra 234360 12.47
4 Orissa 204240 10.86
5 Andhra Pradesh 131536 7.00
6 West Bengal 130444 6.94
7 Uttar Pradesh 103205 5.49
8 Punjab 96050 5.11
9 Tamil Nadu 84384 4.49
10 Gujarat 78354 4.17
11 Karnataka 58705 3.12
12 Haryana 36939 1.96
13 Rajasthan 23530 1.25
14 Delhi 12387 0.66
15 Pondicherry 9655 0.51
16 Chandigarh 9294 0.49
17 Assam 7861 0.42
18 Kerala 6549 0.35
19 Himachal Pradesh 5709 0.30
20 Jammu and Kashmir 2378 0.12
21 Goa 118 0.01
22 Daman & Diu 115 0.01
23 Others 78698 4.18
All India 1879140 100
Note: * Indicates Biological Oxygen Demand.
Source: Computed from Pandey R., and Ghosh S., (2014), “Estimating Industrial Pollution
in India: Implications for an Effluent Charge”, NIPFP, New Delhi, p. 49.

the States. The percentage distribution of the pollution load in each state shows that

out of the total load, 17.1 per cent occurs in Bihar alone. In Madhya Pradesh, the

load percentage is 12.94 and it is almost similar (12.47 per cent) in the case of

Maharashtra. Orissa accounts for more than one-tenth of the all-India pollution

load. In the same way, Andhra Pradesh (7.0 per cent), West Bengal (6.94 per cent),

Uttar Pradesh (5.94 per cent) and Punjab (5.11 per cent) account for more than five

per cent of the total pollution load.

 61

Pollution of river water and thereby the pollution of both ground water and

surface water is widespread as far as regions are concerned. At the same time, the

pollution is caused by many industries. The list of industries that cause major water

pollution is presented in Table – 3.2. The levels of pollution are estimated by both

output intensities of the industries and their employment intensities and they are

also ranked according to their pollution level in each category.

Table - 3.2 Estimated Water Pollution Load by Industries, 2013

Output Employment
Sl. Industry Intensity Rank Intensity Rank
No. Estimate Estimate
(in tonnes) (in tonnes)
1 Aluminium 47,469 3 0 16
2 Copper 16,035 6 44,495 9
3 Zinc 7,737 8 22,923 12
4 Iron and Steel 16,39,368 1 80,93,409 1
5 Cement 5,168 11 28,000 11
6 Oil Refinery 4,340 12 16,805 13
7 Drugs 5,889 10 44,736 8
8 Petrochemicals 1,818 13 3,805 14
9 Fertilisers 31,480 4 1,06,644 7
10 Pesticides 7,366 9 37,927 10
11 Caustic Soda 836 15 1,35,691 5
12 Pulp and Paper 86,245 2 8,07,164 3
13 Leather 894 14 53,16,058 2
14 Dyes 0 16 1,198 15
15 Distillery 7,740 7 1,10,344 6
16 Sugar 16,747 5 2,17,369 4
Source: Computed from Pandey R., and Ghosh S., (2014), “Estimating Industrial Pollution
in India: Implications for an Effluent Charge”, NIPFP, New Delhi, p. 49.

At the all-India level, the Iron and Steel industry is the highest polluting

industry by both output intensity and employment intensity-wise. It accounts for as

high as 87.24 per cent of the estimated total water pollution load in output intensity

method, while it is 54.0 per cent in employment intensity method. The magnitude of

the pollution caused by this industry can be gauged by the fact that the second-most
 62

polluting industry, the Pulp and Paper industry, which accounts for only 4.58 per

cent in terms of output intensity. The leather industry which is also one of the

important polluting industries, account only 0.04 per cent of total pollution, in terms

of output intensity pollution, and thus ranks 14, though in terms of employment

intensity pollution, it accounts for 35.4 per cent, and hence stands next to the Iron

and Steel industry. This also implies that in terms of employment intensity

pollution, the Pulp and Paper industry stands at third position.

POLLUTION BY SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES

Small Scale Industries (SSIs) pose more environmental and pollution-related

problems compared to other units. Adoption of environmental standards in

particular pollution controlling measures is less affordable for these small units. The

number of SSIs is estimated to be over 0.32 million units, of which many are highly

polluting. The share of SSIs in terms of waste water generation among several of

the major polluting industries was reported to be about 40 per cent, out of the total

industrial pollution calculated in terms of output intensity. Table-3.3 provides data

regarding the amount of waste water generated by some of the major SSIs in

various industries in India.

Table–3.3 shows that even though the units are small in nature and their

output intensity and employment intensity will also be accordingly small, they still

generate a considerable amount of waste water which is added to the problem of

environmental degradation in general, and ground water and surface water pollution

in particular. These SSIs pose even more danger, in the sense that they are typically

located either in the midst in the residential areas or very close to them. The

maximum amount of pollution in terms of generation of waste water is caused by

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Table - 3.3 Generation of Waste Water by SSIs in Selected Industrial Sectors,

2013

Waste water
Sl.No. Industry
Generation (MLD*)
1 Engineering 2125
2 Paper and board mills 1087
3 Textile 450
4 Organic chemicals 60
5 Tanneries 50
6 Pharmaceuticals 40
7 Dye and dye intermediates 32
8 Soaps, paints, varnishes and petro-chemicals 10
9 Edible oil and vanaspati 7
Note: * Indicates million litres per day.
Source: Kathuria V., and Gundimeda H., (2014), “Industrial Pollution Control: Need
Flexibility” in Parikh K., Marikh J., (eds) India Development Report: 2014, IGIDR,
New Delhi, p.136.

the engineering industries, and as mentioned above, these small-scale engineering

units are situated in residential areas. This implies that the waste water generated by

them, which is untreated, is capable of directly affecting the ground water and

surface water sources of the neighbouring households. This is also case with the

other industrial units like the paper and board mills and the textile units. The latter

particularly, is quite harmful in the sense that, they discharge chemical wastes

which is used for dyeing and bleaching purposes. Thus, even though the textile

units discharge less amount of waste water, in terms of its nature, it is more

harmful. Similarly, the tanneries too let out less volume of waste water per day,

compared to other industries. But, again, as in the case of textile units, the leather

units also pose more danger, as the amount of chemical use is quite high.

Pollution of water sources in general, affects various aspects like health of

human beings that of the livestock, marine products, supply of clean water to the

population, agricultural products and the sustainability of timber supply. Thus,

these also involve economic costs to the stake holders like, the consumers, the
 64

producers, the government and others. This cost is quite huge, which has been

computed by many scholars. These environment costs affect not only the present

generation, but also the future generation. Table–3.4 provides a snapshot of the

estimates of annual environment costs in India.

Table - 3.4 Summary of Major Annual Environment Costs in India, 2013

Impacts on health Low estimate

High Estimate
Problem and/or (millions
(millions US$)
production US $)
Urban Air Pollution Urban health impacts 517 2102
Urban and rural health
Water Pollution
impacts, esp. Diarrhoeal 3076 8344
(health impacts)
diseases
Water pollution Higher incremental costs Not
Not Estimated
(Production impacts) for clean water supply Estimated
Industrial hazardous Long-term health Not
Not Estimated
Waste impacts, esp. Cancer Estimated
Loss of agricultural
Soil Degradation 1516 2368
output
Range land Loss of livestock carrying
238 417
Degradation capacity
Loss of sustainable
Deforestation 183 244
timber supply
Coastal and marine Unsustainable harvesting Not
Not Estimated
resources of marine resources Estimated
Loss of use, option, and Not
Loss of bio-diversity Not Estimated
existence values Estimated
Decline in tourism
Tourism 142 283
revenues
Total Cost of Environmental Degradation 5672 13758
Total cost as percentage of GDP 2.64 % 6.41 %
Average Total Cost 9.715
Average Total Cost as percentage of GDP 4.53 %
Source: Brandon C., and Homman K., (2014), The Cost of Inaction: Valuing the Economy-
Wide Cost of Environmental Degradation in India, Mimeo, Asia Environment Division,
World Bank, Washington D.C., p.95.

The summary of the environment costs shows that these costs are caused by

various problems like, urban air pollution, water pollution, the industrial wastes,

degradation of soil, the impact on coastal and marine resources, and particularly the

loss of bio-diversity. The table indicates that the highest loss or the biggest
 65

environment cost is caused by pollution of water. The pollution of the ground water

and surface water directly affects the health of water users, especially the lower-end

people in the income class, since not only that their income does not allow them to

access alternative strategies, but also they depend more on the water supply made

by the municipalities or the other authorities. Moreover, the municipalities,

panchayats and corporations do not supply purified drinking water as in the

developed countries. The estimate band ranges from a low of $ 3,076 million to a

high of $ 8,344 million per annum. The next major loss occurs in the case of

agricultural products due to soil degradation. This phenomenon which is

particularly severe in the developing countries, again affects the small and marginal

farmers who suffer from very limited capital capabilities, and thus cannot invest on

soil preservation and reclamation technologies. This loss ranges from $ 1,516

million to $ 2,368 million per annum.

River Water

Rivers are the lifeline of majority of population in cities, towns and villages

and most of these are considered as sacred. Every river stretch has a distinct water

use like bathing, drinking, municipal supply, navigation, irrigation and fishing,

sports, etc. Simultaneously, it is also used as receptacle for discharge of industrial

effluent, municipal sewage and dumping of solid wastes. The Water (Prevention

and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, is aimed to support the quality of various

designated best uses of water bodies. The Water Quality Atlas of the Indian River

System has been prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board on the basis of

five major uses of the river water such as:

(a) Drinking water source without conventional treatment but after disinfection;
 66

(b) Outdoor bathing organised;

(c) Drinking water source but with conventional treatment followed by

disinfection;

(d) Propagation of wildlife, fisheries;

(e) Irrigation, industrial cooling, controlled waste disposal.

For maintaining the quality of river water, the pollution levels in rivers have

been detected by monitoring limited number of the physio-chemical parameters,

which could only determine the changes in chemical characteristics of water bodies.

Deterioration in water quality, over the past several years has gradually rendered

the river water quality unsuitable for various beneficial purposes.1

The Central Pollution Control Board has laid down a list of major polluting

industries in 1989, which are subject to a special regime of inspection from the

State Pollution Control Boards and are to water cess. 2 Those industries are:

Cement mills (above 200t/day)

Sugar

Thermal Power Plants

Distilleries

Fertilizers

Oil refineries

Caustic Soda Production

Petrochemicals

Zinc Smelting

Copper Smelting

Aluminium Smelting

Sulphuric acid

Integrated Iron and Steel

Pulp and Paper

Tanneries

Pharmaceuticals

Dye and Dye Intermediates

Pesticides.

1
Government Of India, (2003), Compendium of Environment Statistics: India, Central Statistical
Organisation, Ministry of Statistics, and Programme Implementation, New Delhi, p.179.
2
Central Pollution Control Board, (1989), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India, New Delhi, pp.78-80.
 67

All the 14 major rivers of the country, including Ganga, Gomti, Cauvery,

Damodar, Cooum and Mini Mahi, have become polluted. The waters of Ganga

which were once considered to be pure and sacred are no longer so, because of the

discharge of sewage and industrial effluents. The industrial effluents are considered

more dangerous than the household wastes. 3

Table - 3.5 Criteria of Primary Water Quality for Designated Best Use Method

Designated Class
Criteria
Best Use of Water
1. Total Coli forms Organised MPN /100ml
shall be 50 or less
Drinking Water Source
A 2. pH between 6.5 & 8.5
without Conventional
3. Dissolved Oxygen 6mg/l or more
Treatment but after
4. Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 20oC
Disinfection
2mg/l or less
1. Total Coli forms Organised MPN/100ml
shall be 500 or less
B 2. pH between 6.5 & 8.5
Outdoor bathing 3. Dissolved Oxygen 5mg/l or more
4. Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 20o C
3mg/l or less
1.Total Coli forms Organised MPN/100ml shall
be 5000 or less
Drinking Water C 2. pH between 6 & 9
Source 3. Dissolved Oxygen 4mg/l or more
4. Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 20o C
3 mg/l or less
1. pH between 6.5 & 8.5 Fisheries.
Propagation of D
2. Dissolved Oxygen 4mg/l or more
Wild Life
3. Free Ammonia (as N) 1.2 mg/l or less
1. pH between 6.0 or 8.5
Irrigation, Industrial 2. Electrical conductivity at 25oC Micro
E
Cooling, Controlled mhos/cm Max 2250
Waste 3. Sodium Absorption Ratio, Max 26
4. Boron, Max 2 mg/l
Source: Government Of India, (2000), Water Quality – Status & Statistics (1996 & 1997),
Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, p.127.

Considering the enormous quantities of water generated by domestic and

industrial units and the very limited possibilities for disposal of this waste to

3
Kumar and Kakrani, (2000), Water, Environment and Pollution, Agrobias, India, pp.252-253.
 68

surface, particularly in view of needs for control of pollution of sub-surface water,

the sub-surface must continue to serve as a receptor. But the river bed of Palar has

already been polluted by the tanneries. There is a strong possibility for a transport

of ground water to various areas affected by its water source.4 There are many

factors which cause the sub-surface transport of contaminants. The mechanism for

transport of contaminants in ground water includes advection, dispersion,

absorption and ion exchange, decay, chemical reaction and biological processes.

Advection represents the movement of a contaminant with the bulk fluid

according to the seepage velocity in pore space. Dispersion is the combined result

of two mass transport processes in porous media namely mechanical dispersion and

molecular diffusion. The mass transport phenomenon occurs mainly due to

heterogeneities in the medium that cause variation in flow velocities and in flow

path, which is referred as mechanical dispersion. Molecular diffusion is caused by

the non-homogeneous distribution of the pollutant concentration. The combined

effects of mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion make the solute spread to

an even larger area than pure advection. Absorption and ion exchange occur at the

interface between the solid and liquid phases, the solute in the liquid may be

absorbed by the solid. The mass in the solid may also get into the liquid by

dissolution or ion exchange. There may exist chemical reaction among fluids with

different chemical composition and between fluids and solid particles. Biological

processes, such as, the putridity of and organisms and reproduction of bacteria will

4
Mohan S., and Muthukumaran, M., (2004), “Modelling of Pollutant Transport in Ground Water,”
Indian Economic journal for Environment, Vol.85, September, pp.22-31.
 69

also change the concentration. The radio-active components within the fluid will

decrease the concentration as a result of decay over time.

PALAR RIVER BASIN: AN OVERVIEW

The river Palar originates from the Nandhi Durg hill ranges in the state of

Karnataka. The river passes through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

before joining the Bay of Bengal. The river basin falls within latitudes 12o 14' N

and 13o 37' N and longitudes 77o 48' 40" and 80o 14' 40"E. The total area of the

Palar basin is 18,300 km2 which is spread over the three states: Karnataka 3,123

km2, Andhra Pradesh 4,267 Km2 and Tamil Nadu 10,910 Km2.

Palar Anicut System

The Palar river has five tributaries namely, Poiney, Goundinya nadhi, Malattar,

Cheyyar and Kiliyar. Map showing the Palar river basin in Tamil Nadu state is

presented in Map – 3.1. There are 660 tanks in the Palar basin. Most of them were

created around 600 A.D. The big tanks like Kaveripakkam were fed by canals

taking off from the Palar river. The flood waters of Palar would flow to these tanks

and the surplus would flow down to the next tank and would continue down the

chain. Thus, it was ensured that no water flowed as waste into the river. At present,

the Palar anicut system consists of four channels. On the left bank, the

Mahendravadi and Kaveripakkam channels and on the right bank, Sakkaramallur

and Dusi-Kalavai channels provide irrigation.5

5
Government Of Tamil Nadu, (2000), Report of Palar River Basin: Base-Line Survey of Irrigation
Commands, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, Chennai, pp. 39-40.
MAP – 3.1 PALAR RIVER BASIN, TAMIL NADU
IRRIGATION UNDER PALAR ANICUT SYSTEM

Palar being an inter-state river, an agreement was entered into by the

erstwhile Mysore (now Karnataka) and Madras (now Tamil Nadu) States in the year

1892 for sharing the river water. Under this agreement, any development in the

Palar river basin must be mutually agreed upon by the states involved. There were,

however, periodic complaints of shortage of water by the farmers of Tamil Nadu.

They alleged that Karnataka was taking more than permissible level of water for

irrigation under the 1892 agreement. Twenty five tanks were created across Palar

and its tributaries in Karnataka and this led to the dwindling of flows down stream

of the river. This issue was raised in the then Madras Legislative Council and a

Committee was constituted in 1931. The Committee reported that the river flows at

Palar anicut site was far less during 1905 to 1924 than during 1885 – 1904. A

formal protest was lodged by the then Madras Government; but nothing happened.

Again after Independence, the North Arcot and Chengalput farmers raised this issue

in 1954 and appealed to the Government of India for intervention.

As early as 1904, the ryots of North Arcot district pressed for the

construction of an anicut across Cheyyar to augment supplies to the tail end tanks

under Palar Anicut System. The Government formulated a scheme to construct an

anicut at Tandari but it was dropped in the face of opposition from the ryots of the

lower reaches of Cheyyar. Eventually, the pressure of the tail-enders of the Palar

Anicut System prevailed and the Tandarai anicut was constructed in the 1970s.6

Tanks have historically been the most important surface irrigation source in

the basin. There are no storage reservoirs in this basin but there is a series of seven

6
Ibid. p. 74.
 72

anicuts which fill a large number of irrigation tanks. The total number of tanks

filled by these anicuts is little less than 700 and the total area irrigated by these

tanks is about 61,000 hectares. These are called system tanks. Besides system

tanks, a large number of non-system tanks also exist in this basin, exact number of

which is not known. 7

Besides tanks, there were numerous spring channels, which had their origin

in the Palar river, or its tributaries, which irrigated thousands of hectares along the

villages located on both sides of the river. In many villages, even now, the spring

channels remain but in a dissipated condition. In some villages, spring channels are

used to let out tannery effluent.

However, since tanks and springs are becoming more and more

undependable, as the major surface irrigation sources due to their neglected

condition, wells have emerged as the major source of irrigation in the basin area.

Indeed, the introduction of high yielding – new bio-chemical technology in this

region in the mid-1960s has prompted farmers to invest in ground water irrigation

quite extensively. The trend touched its momentum in the 1970s. Thus, at present

net irrigated area by wells in the basin works out to about 75 per cent. In the late

1980s, there were around 1,32,000 irrigation wells in the basin area and the density

of wells varies from 0.74 to 2.82 per hectare.8

Ground water utilisation is as high as 92 per cent in this basin. Ground

water has also been a major source for drinking and industrial water needs. Quality,

7
Janakarajan, S., (1993) “In Search of Tanks”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.28, No.6,
pp.502-504.
8
Rajagopal and Vaidyanathan, (1998), “Conditions and Characteristics of Ground water Irrigation
in the Palar Basin: Some Preliminary Results”, (unpublished manuscript), Madras Institute of
Development Studies, Chennai, pp.16-22.
 73

however, varies a great across the basin. This issue of water quality has not been

addressed since long, while assessing the ground water potential in the river basin.

This is in particular important because of the long history of tanning industry in this

river basin, which has contributed quite significantly to the ground water

contamination.

Cropping Pattern under Palar River Basin

The cropping pattern under Palar river basin is in general similar across the

existing anicut system, although there are some variations among and within the

other anicut systems. These differences are with regard to the relative importance

and the time of planting and harvesting of individual crop. There are five important

cropping patterns in the basin. These are single, double and triple crops of paddy.

A double cropping system is also followed, in which paddy is followed by a variety

of irrigated dry crops. The cropping patterns having paddy as a component crop,

have in common the second or Samba season paddy. The time of planting this crop

varies from July to October depending on the nature of the cropping pattern itself,

and the seasonal conditions. Its harvest also varies accordingly. The paddy varieties

used during this season are usually of a relatively longer duration (135 to 150 days),

than those used in the other seasons. Other crops include groundnut and a range of

vegetables. Soyabean was tried on a large scale in some areas such as in Damal

village, during the mid-1990s, but marketing problems discouraged its continuance.

Sugarcane is planted between January and March and harvested after ten to

twelve months. In the early 1990s sugarcane was very popular among the tube well

owners. Poor quality of the cane and delayed payments from the factories forced the

farmers to revert to their traditional crop, paddy.

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RURAL-URBAN WATER MARKET IN PALAR BASIN

Agricultural sector is still the single largest user of ground water, though

there have been growing demands for this resource from other sectors or users. The

urbanisation process, the increasing demographic pressure and expansion of

industrial activities have all generated competing demands for ground water. This is

more acute in a State such as Tamil Nadu, where, almost all the available surface

water sources have been utilised. As competing claims on limited ground water

stock has increased over time, conflicts or conflicting interests have also emerged

among various user groups.

In the context of ground water resource, conflicts take place due to one

critical factor, viz., scarcity. The scarcity, in turn, is caused due to imbalance

between supply and demand. Two reasons can be attributed for this: One, the

excessive unregulated pumping, resulting in secular lowering of water table which

in some cases has reached the irreversible point, and two, the ground water

pollution which is caused by the discharge of industrial effluent, the use of chemical

inputs in agriculture and due to domestic and municipal sewage. In both these

cases, scarcity occurs, while in the case of the former scarcity occurs due to over-

extraction, in the latter, it is due to contamination.

The primary non-agricultural users are urban industrial owners and

municipalities. The quantity of water that is consumed for domestic needs and

industrial processing is discharged as sewage and effluent in the open surface,

streams, lakes, tanks and rivers, contributing thereby, significantly to pollution load

of surface and ground water bodies. Therefore, transportation of potable ground

water from village to urban uses not only aggravates the already depleting ground
 75

water table, but also contributes to permanent damage to it. All these in turn be the

part of the cause to influence drinking water scarcity, health hazards, decline in soil

quality, reduction in agricultural yields, rise in the cost of living and in an overall

sense contributes to persisting poverty conditions.

Rural – Urban Water Transport

The leather industry has been the most important industrial activity in this

part of the basin. The export earnings of the leather industry have increased from a

mere Rs.0.32 billion in 1965 to Rs.100 billion in 2005. This industry provides direct

employment to over 2 million people in the country, 51 per cent of leather exports

originate from the southern states and 70 per cent of the tanning industries are

concentrated in this region. Of the total exports from the South, Tamil Nadu State

alone contributes to about to 90 per cent, the value of which is Rs.50 billion. And,

75 per cent of the tanning industries of the Tamil Nadu state are concentrated in the

Palar basin, contributing to over 30 per cent of country’s total exports. This

indicates that Palar river basin is subjected to the worst form of concentration in

ground water pollution. It is worth mentioning that many developed countries have

forbidden the leather-processing as they very well know the evils of encouraging

such industrial processing.9 But in India, for making more profits, the leather

processing factories and dyeing units have been slowly poisoning mother ‘Nature’.

IMPACT OF THE TANNERIES ON THE PALAR RIVER BASIN

There are more than 3000 industrial units in Tamil Nadu which have been

classified under the highly polluting or ‘red’ category. The total effluent generated

9
Janakarajan, S., (2004a), “Unequal Power, Unequal Contracts and Unexplained Conflicts:
Facilitating Negotiations Over Water Conflicts in Peri-Urban Catchments” Paper presented at the
conference on Market Development of Water & Waste Technologies through Environmental
Economics, May, 28-29, Paris.
 76

is about 6 lakh litres per day of which more than 5 lakh litres (85 per cent) is

generated by large industries. About 400 units discharge directly into the river.

There are nearly 1,000 tanneries located in Vellore, Kanchipuram, Dindigul and

Erode districts. The effluent has caused serious problems in the Palar basin.

Similarly, there are a large number of textiles’ bleaching and dyeing units in

Tiruppur, Erode and Karur which have contaminated the Noyyal, Amaravathy and

other water bodies.10 Moreover, on an average, 35 to 45 litres of waste water is

discharged per kilogram of raw skin/hide processed. Total quantity of water used

by the tanneries in the basin works out to a minimum of 45 to 50 million litres per

day, the quantity of effluent discharged from the tanneries - numbering 847 - which

are supposed to be connected to one of the 8 ‘Common Effluent Treatment Plants’

(CETPs) installed in the Palar basin, works out to 37,458 kilogram per litre per day

(kld) or 13.5 million cubic metre (mcm) per year. The Palar basin is one of the

worst affected basins due to industrial pollution, where ground water is quite

heavily contaminated. The amount and strength of the effluents show that the

aggregate tannery effluent will have an adverse effect on the ground water quality

in the entire area and also on the Palar river, where the effluents are finally getting

mixed.

The extent of effluent generated by processing one kilogram of raw-hides

and skins into finished leather is around 34 litres, and the total weight of the raw-

hides and skins processed works out to 1.1 million kilograms per day. It has also

been proved that pollution loads in the Palar river is extremely threatening. For

10
Government of India, (2005), “Tamil Nadu Development Report”, Planning Commission, New
Delhi, pp.162-163.
 77

instance, ‘Total Suspended Solids’ (TSS) - 29,938 kld, ‘Total Dissolved Solids’

(TDS) - 400,302 kld, Chloride – 101,434 kld, Sulphide – 3818 kld, ‘Biological

Oxygen Demand’ (BOD) - 23,496 kld, ‘Chemical Oxygen Demand’ (COD) -

70,990 kld, Total Chromium – 474 kld, and Cyanide – 22 kld. Moreover, compared

to 1968, the TDS level has increased by 79 per cent in the upstream tannery cluster

in 1997, while the value in the downstream stood at 142 per cent. This established

the travel of pollutant which is significant. The extent of pollution indicates that

even if all the tannery effluent is stopped immediately, the level of inorganic

chemical constituents already dumped in the river could not be recovered even in

the long run which indicates the problem of the existence of huge amount of

imputed cost.

Around one crore people depend on the Palar, which is linked to the

Araniyar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers. People in Chennai, Vellore and Chengalpet

districts are affected by the damage to the river by tanneries and municipalities and

small towns and dump sewage.11 For the need of drinking water in selected

outskirts of Chennai, Palar river water is used. However, the quality of Palar water

has already turned from bad to worse. Before it is too late, Government should take

initiatives to avoid further contamination of Palar water.

There has been a steep reduction in the area under paddy in the affected

villages, and since 1980, the area under paddy has come down by more than 50 per

cent. It has been established that in the affected villages, there is poor germination,

stunted vegetative growth, poor grain formation, reduced grain weight and low

quality output; coconut water has turned saline, size of the nuts is reduced and

11
The Hindu, (2006), ‘District Plus’, Special Edition, Chennai, March, 23, p.3.
 78

falling buttons are quite large in number, incidence of crop failure is very high. In

2025, the agricultural production has to be doubled from the present level which is

stipulated as one of the goals of India’s Five Year Plans. But, by taking into account

the spread of pollution of ground water, it is doubtful whether the goal is going to

be achieved or not.

More than 60 per cent of the wells in these areas are defunct due to water

contamination; the investments that have gone into these wells are also lost

permanently. Soil salinity is quite common in the affected villages. Yield of paddy

per well in the affected villages is 628 kilograms, whereas in the unaffected

villages, the yield works out to 7118 kilograms.12 As a result of the tannery effluent

being let out into the Palar river basin, the following extent of areas are affected.

Table–3.6 shows the extent of area affected by the tanneries effluent in the Palar

river basin. The Vaniyambadi taluk is the most affected as it is the location for

many of the tannery units. More than 15 per cent of the total area affected is in this

taluk. The area affected includes both residential land area as well as cultivating

area. Thus, the impact is total, in the sense that both households and cultivating

farmers are affected in this taluk. This is also the case with other taluks like Ambur,

Tirupattur, Arcot, etc., which are all basically cultivating areas. This also implies

the higher environmental costs involved due to soil and water degradation. The

listing of the affected areas provides a clear view about the extensive damage

caused by the leather units in the Palar river basin. Even if crores of rupees are

spent, the quality of the soil and ground water cannot be retrieved to the previous

level.

12
Mohan S., and Muthukumaran, M., op.cit., p.32.
 79

Table - 3.6 Extent of Area Affected by Tanneries’ Effluent in Palar River

Basin

Sl. No. Name of the Zone Affected Area (in hectares)

1 Vaniyambadi 2675
2 Ambur 1697
3 Tirupattur 257
4 Pernambut 720
5 Gudiyattam 570
6 Ammanakuppam 610
7 Valathur 511
8 Vellore 270
9 Katpadi 881
10 Tiruvalam 78
11 Perumugai Rathinagiri 769
12 Visharam 995
13 Arcot 1756
14 Ranipet 714
15 Walajapet 1598
16 Ammur-Walaja 777
17 Timiri 886
TOTAL 15764
Source: MOHAN, S., and Muthukumaran, M., op.cit., p.45.

The sub-surface water is getting polluted in Ambur, Vaniambadi and region

upto Jolarpet. On would be surprised to see fertile lands in these areas, where many

crops have been cultivated. Paddy, sugar cane, vegetables, flowers, fruits,

plantations, other wet and dry crops are cultivated, including the growing up of

thousands of coconut trees. This could be seen when one travels by train from

Chennai to Bengalaru. All these are cultivated successfully, but by using the

polluted water only. Years are not far away to see these regions turning to be

deserts, if water pollution is not controlled. The leather-processing (sole) factories

and industrial effluents are chiefly responsible for this.

PALAR RIVER BASIN AND ITS WATER QUALITY

The Palar river basin covers an area of about 18,300 sq.km. and has an

annual rainfall of 800-1200 mm, with evapo-transpiration rate to a higher level of

2000 mm per year. This is a water deficit basin. Ground water utilisation is as high
 80

92 per cent in this basin. As high as 200 mld of water is pumped every day from

the Palar river bed aquifer to meet the drinking water needs of many towns, villages

and industries located along the river. This is the vital issue of the basin, because of

a long history of tanning industry, which has contributed quite significantly to the

ground water and surface water contamination. 13

The tanneries and other polluting industries in the State of Tamil Nadu were

being persuaded for many years to control the pollution generated by them. They

were given option either to construct common effluent treatment plant for a cluster

of industries or to set up individual pollution control devices. The Tamil Nadu

Pollution Control Board has prescribed standards for the discharge of effluents and

the Central Government had offered substantial subsidy for the construction of

Common Effluent Treatment Plants. But the progress was slow, forcing the Court

eventually to pass closure orders on several industries. These orders were

subsequently suspended upon the affected industries asking for further time to

implement pollution control measures, but after five years of monitoring by Court,

there was still lack of progress.

According to the survey conducted in the tannery belts by a non-

governmental organisation, covering 13 villages of 2 Unions, in Vellore district,

350 wells out a total of 467 used for drinking and irrigation purposes have been

polluted. Women and children have to walk miles to get drinking water.14

However, the severity of the problem is not realised in full perspective by the

industrialists, the government and the people.

13
Janakarajan, S., (2004b), op.cit., pp.12-14.
14
Holiday, (2005), “Environment & Activism”, Internet Edition, February, 4, p.1, accessed on
23.07.2014.
 81

It has been reported that the people in this basin are affected with skin,

bronchial and respiratory disorders, (that are visible), cancer, tuberculosis and

reproductive disorders. As the tanneries blatantly continue to violate norms in spite

of the viable technologies available to switch to zero-waste production, it is vital to

stop the flow of effluent, rather than divert it. In the absence of this, there is a

danger of the Palar river becoming a toxic killer.15 Toxic killings are common

mostly in unused wells and when sewage workers enter into the manholes of the

sewerage pipeline system for cleaning the clogs.

Ground water quality data indicate very high level of contamination. Of the

110 sample wells in the affected villages, 104 have reported water contamination

and 38 wells have been completely abandoned. Forced migration of people from

villages is taking place which is permanent and semi-permanent in nature.

Consumption of contaminated water is commonly seen, and the common health

problems reported are skin allergies, asthma and gastroentitis. The traditional

irrigation sources such as tanks and spring channels are on the decay. There has

been competing demand for ground water among agricultural, industrial and

domestic sectors. The falling ground water table has affected agricultural activity

which has reduced the level of income and employment. The riverbed aquifer has

been contaminated, which was the most important source of drinking and irrigation

for hundreds of villages and towns in this basin. There is acute drinking water crisis

resulting in the emergence of market for drinking water in the urban, semi-urban

and rural areas. The number of abandoned wells has been on the increase and there

is increasing indebtedness among farmers due to futile investment on wells.

15
The Hindu, (2003), “Green Warrior”, April, 8, Chennai Edition, p.2.
 82

The pollution of ground and surface water has led to the declining life

expectancy of tannery workers as well as people in the basin area, and it is not an

over-statement that there is a fear of impotency due to the consumption of

contaminated water. The affluent, politicians and bureaucrats make use of purified

and mineral waters. This has made the Palar river basin as an extremely stressed

region since, policy measures, so far have not addressed the important issues of

conflicts in the use of water, competing demand for water, relationship between

over-use of ground water and pollution on the one hand and rural-urban migration,

deteriorating health due to water contamination and poverty on the other.

THE LOWER PALAR BASIN PROBLEMS

The case of the lower Palar is more relevant to the present work, because of

its proximity to the Chennai city. Like the upper Palar, the lower segment of the

basin is also equally vulnerable due to several factors.

Around 40 million litres per day (mld) of water is transported to the city for

industrial and domestic uses – which is pumped round the clock from the riverbed

aquifer. Due to water transport from peri-urban areas, local people are compelled

to enter into a contract with agents for unequal exchange. For instance, the

individual seller stands to gain in the short run from water sales, but in the long run,

loses due to unsustainable ground water.

The irony of the fact is that an individual seller enters into a contract with a

buyer for selling water from his bore knowing fully well that his bore-well would

become dry sooner than later due to non-stop pumping. But, still he prefers to sell

water, even at the cost of his agriculture, not just because his income from water

sales is more than what he might get from agriculture, but mainly because, if he
 83

does not enter into a contract for selling his water, his neighbour would do, in

which case, the net result is the same.

Illegal sand mining from the riverbed is a major issue in this part of the

basin, which destroys the withholding capacity of the riverbed aquifer. Both,

pumping from the riverbed and sand mining, have contributed significantly to the

sea water intrusion in the coastal areas of the basin; the sea water has intruded into

the inland to a distance of over 10 kilometres. Both sand mining and continuous

pumping from the riverbed aquifer have resulted in the drying up of spring

channels, tanks and even ground water, which hitherto have contributed quite

significantly to the overall prosperity of the region and agricultural stability in

particular. The problem is particularly severe in the lower Palar due to nearness of

this region to the city. This area is actually peri-urban, which attracts the attention

of neither the local panchayat nor the city administration. Capacity of local

institutions to exercise control over changes in the peri-urban area is weak or find it

difficult to take action against illegal encroachments, pumping from the river bed,

illegal sand mining and water transport.

CONFLICTS IN PALAR ANICUT SYSTEM

Palar anicut system is a run of the river system. Hence, the availability of

water to the tanks depends on the quantity of flow in the river. All the tanks in the

system have traditional irrigation institutions like Nattamai, Neerkatti and

Kambukatti and the village functionaries carry out water sharing and allocation.
 84

Conflicts arise but resolved by informal meeting of elders and the decisions are

accepted by all.16

Most irrigation systems are planned with a primary health objective of

increasing food productivity and thereby improving the human nutrition. The

success of the irrigation systems in realising this objective, at times causes negative

health impacts. Irrigated agriculture results in a water intensive environment.

Spread of water borne and water-related diseases affecting the public health status

of the community are the consequences. The general pattern of prevalence of

communicable diseases reported in the basin districts are Acute Diarrhoeal

Diseases, Viral Hepatitis, Dengue Fever, Filariasis, Malaria, Typhoid, Cholera,

Viral Fever, Japanese Encephalitis and Leptospirosis.

The surface runoff and irrigation return water carry organic and inorganic

chemical contaminants, including pesticide and fertilizer residues, to the surface

water bodies. Contaminated water is a passive, but slow-moving vehicle for

infection. Contamination of the standing stagnant irrigation water results in the

transmission of the pollutants to the ground water. In rural areas, water provided

for irrigation is used for drinking also. With the impairment of ambient water

quality and the direct use of the irrigation water for drinking, the risk of water borne

diseases increases.

BACTERIOLOGICAL AND VIROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER

Water-related diseases are caused by Bacteria and Viruses. Therefore, tests

are conducted and its results for the Palar river basin are provided in this section.

16
Government of Tamil Nadu, (2000), “Report on the Base Line Survey of Irrigation Commands:
Palar River Basin”, Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, Chennai, pp. 171-186.
 85

Bacteriological Analysis

Total faecal coliforms and E. Coli were detected in 70 per cent water

samples tested. Total and fecal coliforms were detected in 85 per cent of water

samples tested, whereas fecal streptococci were detected in 55 per cent of water

sample. E.Coli values detected in water samples were as high as 1100/100ml as

against the standard limit of 50/100ml for A and B class water quality standards as

per Designated Best Use method for water source.

Virological Analysis

Granular activated charcoal column based virus concentration has shown to

have a high recovery of percentage of viruses from water samples. The survey for

the presence of various types of viruses including enterovirus (EV), rotavirus (RV),

hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) have shown positive in 65, 55,

90 and 70 per cent respectively for twenty water samples tested in various parts of

northern schemes. 17

Ground water is such an important source of drinking. Its contamination

causes a serious threat to human health. It is linked to illnesses ranging from

bacterial infection to cancer. Ground water is becoming one of the most potentially

dangerous contaminating media. Entry of water pollutants with various substances

into a hydro-geological system is through anthromorphic activities. It has been

reported that in developing countries polluted water accounts for 80 per cent of

diseases. 18 It was estimated that drinking water also carries disease causing agents,

killing five million babies annually and make another one sixth of the world

17
Ibid., pp.229-230.
18
Tebbut T.M.Y., (1983), Relationship between Natural Water Quality and Health, UNESCO,
Paris, France, pp-35-42.
 86

population. Thus, the status of industrial waste water, particularly in Palar river

basin indicates that the discharge of untreated effluents in huge quantity is affecting

soil, human and animal health and the overall environment.

Public Worries

Majority of the residents living in the river bed often complains about their

worries due to the ground water which is polluted by these industries. It was said

that the tanneries do not biologically treat the effluent. The situation exists at a time

when various tanneries at Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Ranipet, claim that the effluents

are systematically treated before discharge into the Palar, main water source for the

northern parts of Tamil Nadu. But it is revealed from the fact that tanneries openly

stock the effluent inside their campus and allow it to dry on its own during the night

hours of the day. The stench from the effluent is unbearable. The residents say that

they suffer from various health related problems. Most of them complain of

wheezing and show signs of asthma. The tanneries not only cause air pollution but

also affect the ground water table in the area. The effluent mixes with the ground

water. The water available in the area has a mix of pollutants and it is totally unfit

for consumption. Hence, the residents are forced to purchase water from outside

and a sizeable portion of their income is spent on purchasing drinking water. The

inference is that only rich can lead disease-free life by drinking safe mineral water

and the poor can drink only the polluted water. 19

19
The Hindu, District Plus, (2007), “Tannery: A Threat to This Residential Area”, February 24,
Chennai Edition, p.5.
 87

TANNERIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY IN

KANCHIPURAM TOWN

The tanneries in North Arcot District are mainly located at Vaniyambadi,

Ambur, Pernampet, Ranipet apart from Kanchipuram in clusters and about 95 per

cent of these tanneries are in small sector. Most of the units do not have proper

effluent treatment measure and reasons cited for this are inadequate space, finance,

non-availability of appropriate treatment technology, and personnel, lack of

motivation on the tanneries part in setting up effluent treatment measures. The

continued discharge of mostly untreated effluents from the tanneries, has not only

affected land due to the presence of high amounts of dissolved oxygen, chromium,

etc, but has left the water quality much to be desired.

Every year, on an average, 80 per cent of the recharged ground water is

being extracted for various uses. There are several ground water extraction points in

the river bed in the form of infiltration and infiltration galleries and water from this

structure is supplied to the major townships located along the river course. The

study area is located in the lower Palar basin aquifer which feeds the important

water supply schemes such as Kalavai, Kanchipuram, Sakramallur, and Naval Air

Station Water Supply Schemes. The aquifer is now under the threat of severe

contamination because of the disposal of untreated effluent by the tanneries. In

Ranipet town, there are 82 tanneries, which discharges about 4.5 mld of effluent

and till recently, not even primary treatment measures are being adopted by many

of these units. The indiscriminate discharge of tannery effluent has severely

affected the nearby villages namely Vannivedu, Gudimallur and Devathanam of

Wallajah taluk of Vellore district. For decades, the tanneries have been disposing
 88

their untreated effluent into a nearby nullah which ultimately confluences the river

Palar near Devathanam village. Before the confluence, near the Devathanam

village the effluent gets stagnated in an area of 240 hectares of fertile (and now

cannot be called ‘fertile’ but only ‘futile’) land at about 800 metres from Palar.

Because of this stagnation, the adjoining land areas as well as 150 wells in that area

are severely polluted and nearly 35,000 hectares of agricultural land in the

tanneries’ belt have become either partially or totally unfit for cultivation.20

The pollution was caused by the discharge of untreated effluents into

agricultural fields, road sides, water ways and open lands. The untreated effluent

was finally discharged in the river Palar, the main source of water supply to the

residents of the area. This has resulted in non-availability of potable water. The

significance of unpolluted air and pure water for the healthy life of human beings

need not be over-emphasised very often. Even though the tanneries claim that the

effluents are treated before discharge, it is not done and the free flow of untreated

effluent in the riverbed at Thuthipet, located in Vellore district can easily be seen.21

GROUND WATER PROBLEM OF KANCHIPURAM

Kanchipuram is a district that has a rich history of water harvesting and

fairly good management of its water, given the fact that it does not have perennial

rivers. Palar, Vegavathi, Cheyyar and the Ongur are all rain fed subterranean rivers,

with rare visible flow of water. Kanchipuram receives on an average of about 1200

mm of rainfall, mostly from the North East monsoon. Rainfall is unevenly

20
Mohan S., and Muthukumaran, M., op.cit., p.20.
21
The Hindu, (2007), “Palar, A River or a Dumping Yard?” Saturday, January, 20, Chennai
Edition, p.5.
 89

distributed with Cheyyur, Madurantakam, etc., receiving lower rainfall than other

blocks.

With a total population of 29 lakhs (2001 Census) as against a population of

24 lakhs in 1991, the pressure on water resources, both drinking and irrigation has

sharply increased. The livestock population of 1.082 million also adds to the total

water demand. Rain and rain water are major source of rural livelihoods, viz.,

agriculture, inland fishery, etc. This indicates the steady increase in the tapping of

ground water. There are 55,300 irrigation wells, 46,261 domestic wells and 4,560

irrigation bore wells, which tap ground water for irrigation, drinking and industrial

use. Increasing human and livestock population as well as increasing per capita

consumption owing to urbanisation compounded by industrial development has

raised the pressure on water resources to unprecedented levels. 22

Poor urban sanitation has taken the toll through sewage contaminating urban

water bodies. Absence of separate storm water drainage and sewage systems is also

a contributory factor. Even where sewage treatment plants are in operation in

Kanchipuram municipality, overloading due to growth of sewage volume with

passage of time and poor management of the system leading to unchecked spills of

untreated sewage have led to contamination of irrigation water channels as well as

ground water in addition to dyeing units located in and around Kanchipuram town.

The contamination often spreads downstream several tens of kilometres to villages

through irrigation channels, often affecting agricultural land, productivity and

thereby rural livelihoods. The net result has been the elimination of water

harvesting bodies and the concomitant pollution of both surface and ground water.
22
Gateway To Kanchipuram District, Rainwater & Harvesting: The Kanchipuram Story, available
at http:/kanchi.tn.nic.in/waterharvest1.htm, pp.1-7, accessed on 24.10.2014.
 90

Industries, like the tanneries of Pallavaram and Thiruneermalai and the

dyeing units in and around Kanchipuram municipality, have irreversibly

contaminated ground water with chromium and dyes. Wells in Pallavaram deliver

yellow water that is totally unfit to drink. Agriculture in adjacent villages has been

affected due to the discharge of untreated or partially treated dye-effluents from

cottage dyers into the Manjal Neer channel in Kanchipuram town. Raw sewage

spills into the Vegavathi river and partially treated sewage flows down the Manjal

Neer odai reaching Nathapettai tank and several tanks downstream, resulting in

total stoppage of use of this tank for irrigation. Distillery wash often spills into the

Palar river and has affected water quality in the Chengalpattu municipal head

works. The impact on human and livestock has not yet been evaluated or not

transparent. Parts of Chennai urban agglomeration in Kanchipuram district have

witnessed heavy commercial extraction of ground water leading to serious depletion

local conflicts. People in metropolitan Chennai are given more preferential

treatment than the people in towns and villages in the supply of drinking water.

DYEING UNITS’ EFFLUENTS AND GROUND WATER QUALITY OF

VEGAVATHI RIVER

Generally, industrial pollution has been and continues to be a major factor

causing degradation of the environment, affecting water, air and soil. But of these,

pollution of water is arguably the most serious threat to current human welfare.

Industries’ waste water contains chemicals, particularly, dyeing effluents which can

flow faster than the effluents of leather-processing.

The present study is focusing on the dyeing units and their impact on the

health conditions of water-users. The dyeing units in Kanchipuram town are located
 91

in the river bed of Vegavathi river, which is a tributary of Palar river. All the

untreated effluents are being left out into Vegavathi river, which was once the

drinking water source for Kanchipuram town, and now it has become completely

unfit even for bathing. This river runs through the town to an extent of 15 kms and

finally mingles with the Palar river.

As the weaving industry grows, the dyeing units also have increased in

Kanchipuram town over the years. There are more than 60 silk dyeing units, silk

and cotton yarn twisting units and 100 tiny dyeing units located in this town. The

owners have failed to install effluent treatment plants except in some areas. Apart

from dyeing units, there are 50 modern rice mills are also situated and releasing

their husk and creating air pollution. The dyeing units use the ground water for

processing the yarn and they let out the effluents into the Vegavathi river and

Manjal Neer Odai. This has led to pollution of not only ground water but also

surface water. The dyeing and bleaching units use a variety of toxic chemicals,

including hydroxides, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and sodium nitrate. The

toxic content of the effluents has increased during the 1990s with dyers switching

over to reactive dyes such Prochean from Naphthol after European countries

banned the import of textiles treated with azo-dyes. The units every day use 200

boxes of yarn for dyeing and allow them to dry for one or two days in the sunlight.

After that it is used to send for weaving in the handloom industry.

The toxic parameters had gone far above the tolerance limits. For instance,

the level of suspended solids was 182 milligrams per litre (mg/l) against the
 92

Table – 3.7 Characteristics of Industrial Wastewater, Kanchipuram, 2014

Sl.No. Limit 1 2 3 4 5 6
pH 7.5 - 9.5 7.17 7.27 8.08 10.77 9.18 9.95
Conductivity 300 1200 8500 2100 3300 2300 4900
Hardness 300 320 390 370 -- -- --
Ca 200 40 278 160 6 140 --
Mg 0.3 9.72 67.55 38.9 1.46 34.0 --
Cl 250 255 4600 365 675 545 --
SO4 400 80 170 288 220 170 --
NO3 20 39.8 68.6 53.1 21.0 0.6 --
P --- 0.92 0.43 0.16 0.07 0.05 0.63
Na --- 140 1240 180 380 270 760
K --- 50 56 36 24 32 8
COD 250 186 3110 400 4180 1580 --
Note: All values are expressed in mg/l, except Ph and conductivity. 1. S.J.Manoharan, Shanmuga
Rice Mill; 2- Nagaraj Kumar, Ammankara Street; 3- Chinnaih, Thirumagal Lungi Company;
4-Common Effluent Treatment Plant (Influent); 5- Common Effluent Treatment Plant
(Effluent) and 6- R.N.Manisha Silk Industry dyeing unit.
Source: NEERI Op.cit, pp.

maximum permissible level of 100 mg/l; pH23 ranges from 7.17 to 10.77 as against

the median limit of 7.0; the TDS is 2554 mg/l against 2100 mg/l; BOD is 42 mg/l

against 30, COD is 400-4180 mg/l against 250; chloride is 4600 mg/l against 1000

and pH ranges between 7.17 and 10.17 against the permissible level of 6.5-8.5. The

details of the parameters for unit-wise wastewater are given in Table–3.7.

GROUND WATER IN KANCHIPURAM TOWN

The ground water in Kanchipuram town contains a high concentration of

nitrate, an ion that induces blood circulation disorders. Excessive concentration of

nitrate in drinking water is considered hazardous for infants because, in their

intestinal tract, nitrates are reduced to nitrites, which induces conditions that lead to

blue baby syndrome. The nitrites reduce the oxygen content in the blood, leading to

a condition called cyanosis. The TDS in the ground water at all places was found to

23
pH (Potentia Hydrogen) refers to a scale of intensity of acidity or alkalinity. This is regarded as a
measure of concentration of these two in water. Thus, pH 7.0 indicates neutral water, pH below 7.0
is acidic and above 7.0 is alkaline.
 93

be above 500 mg/litre, the desired limit as per Drinking Water Specification by the

Bureau of Indian Standard is 10500:1991.24

The first water supply scheme to Kanchipuram municipality with infiltration

wells and infiltration gallery was implemented with river Vegavathi as source in the

year 1897. The source was discontinued owing to inadequate yield. As population

increased, improvements to the water supply scheme with Palar as source at

Orikkai, a village situated 4.5 kilometres from Kanchipuram town, with a total

supply of 4.5 mld was commissioned in 1965 to meet the demand of the population

upto 1990. Later in the year 1992, a comprehensive water supply improvement

project to the town with river Palar as source has been completed to supply 21.5

mld quantity of water to meet the anticipated population of 3.08 lakhs in the year

2021. Currently, 12.5 mld of water is being supplied from the above sources. At

present the per capita supply is 90 litres per capita per day (lpcd) for a population of

1,52,984. There is another source, namely, the Thiruparkadal, situated on the Palar

river bed, which is 33 kilometre away from Kanchipuram town, with a total supply

of 8.0 mld. Water supply distribution system is managed by dividing the town into

seven zones which in turn divided into 45 wards. Overhead tanks have been

provided for each zone.

CONCLUSION

Pollution of water bodies in general, and that of ground water and surface

water in particular, is a serious and growing problem in developing countries,

including India. This chapter has discussed and analysed this phenomenon, to begin

with, from the macro view point. Data showed that, within India, water pollution is
24
The Hindu, (2004), “Nitrate Concentration High in Kanchipuram Ground water”, March 10,
Chennai Edition, p.3.
 94

quite pervading among all the states, and it is the highest in the case of Bihar. The

reason may be linked to higher level of corruption. And among the industries, water

pollution is caused by the generation of waste water. This kind of water pollution is

also spread by all the major industries.

At the state level also, water pollution is a serious and a extensive problem.

Industrial pollution, especially by textile, leather and engineering industrial units are

in the forefront causing environmental degradation in general and pollution of

ground and surface water in particular. Similarly, the Palar river basin which runs

through many districts of Tamil Nadu is quite extensively affected by industrial

effluents. It has been established that agricultural land is affected and the health

condition of the water users has been severely impaired. Though, setting up of

common effluent treatment plant has been made mandatory, tanneries still flout the

norms, and discharge of untreated effluents has not come down. The study area of

Kanchipuram town is also situated on the Palar river basin and ground water and

surface water pollution exist there also. Thus, the problem of health impact in the

form of various diseases and other health related deficiencies are also prevalent in

Kanchipuram town which are discussed in chapters five and six.