River pollution continues to haunt residents of Erode district

Pollution continues to be a major concern not only for electors but also for over 25 lakh people in the district, and has persisted for years as a key environmental and public health challenge. No longer confined to individual constituencies, it has emerged as a district-wide issue. Despite repeated electoral promises, the problem remains perennial, increasingly becoming part of everyday life.

While several civic issues are localised and can be addressed over time, pollution, particularly of waterbodies, cuts across boundaries. The Cauvery flows for about 84 km through the district, the Bhavani for nearly 70 km, and the Kalingarayan Canal stretches around 90.5 km. Once considered lifelines, these water sources now face severe degradation. Canals such as Pichaikaran Pallam Canal, Sunnambu Odai and Perumpallam Canal, along with streams carrying untreated sewage and industrial waste, drain into the Cauvery and Bhavani rivers at multiple points.