Cauvery samples reveal prevalance of fecal coliform: TN minister

 Tamil Nadu government today said following reports that Karnataka was "letting down" over 500 MLD of sewage water into river Arkavathy and over 800 MLD in Pennaiyar river, it had tested water samples from the two water bodies which had revealed "alarming" levels of fecal coliform above the tolerance limits.

Public Works Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami informed the Tamil Nadu Assembly that reports had appeared in a section of media in March 2015 that "Karnataka is letting down 593 MLD of sewage in Arkavathy (a tributary of Cauvery) and 889 MLD in Pennaiyar."

The Central Pollution Control Board had taken three samples from river Pennaiyar, 2 km upstream of the entry point of Tamil Nadu, between September 2014 and February 2015 and these were analysed in Bengaluru, he said.

The test results had "revealed" that BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) varied from 19.7 to 32 mg per litre and fecal coliform varied from 38,400 to 7.8 lakh MPN /100 ml (Most Probable number per 100 ml) "which is highly alarming," he said.

He said Tamil Nadu had also obtained samples in April last year from two locations on the two rivers which were analysed at the State Pollution Control Board's laboratory at Hosur.

"The report revealed alarming results and some of the elements namely the BOD, fecal coliform and total coliform were far above the tolerance limits prescribed for inland surface water by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 2296-1982," he said.

The total and fecal coliform bacteria test is a primary indicator of "potability", suitability for consumption, of drinking water.

Diseases that can be contracted in water with high fecal coliform counts include typhoid, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and ear infections. Fecal coliform can usually be killed by boiling water or by treating it with chlorine. Washing thoroughly with soap after contact with contaminated water can also help prevent infections.

The state had subsequently moved the Supreme Court on June 5 seeking a permanent injunction "restraining Karnataka and its instrumentalities from letting the untreated sewage and industrial effluents into rivers Cauvery and Pennaiyar."

Tamil Nadu  had also sought a mandatory injunction directing Karnataka to "cleanse" the waters of Cauvery and Pennaiyar before they enter the state, he said.

Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu had also filed an interlocutory application (IA) last year for grant of an ad interim ex-parte order asking Centre to set up a committee to monitor that the discharge of effluents into the said rivers before they entered the state border "conforms" to the standarad prescribed for discharge of effluent water into rivers by the competent statutory authority.

Karnataka had filed a written statement in the Supreme Court on March 28 and when the matter came up for hearing on April 29, "the court has permitted Tamil Nadu to file its Replication, which will be filed soon," the minister said.

On the river interlinking issue, he said Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the implementation of the Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Palar- Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar link and "pressed" that the special committee formed for this purpose in May 2013 as per Supreme Court guidelines should be "activated."

However, Centre has informed that Odisha was not "agreeable" to Mahanadhi-Godavari link due to "considerable submergence involved."

"Alternate proposals with reduced submergence have been discussed with the Chief Minister of Odisha (Naveen Patnaik) and the response of the Government of Odisha is awaited," he added.

Even during her meeting with Modi in June this year, Jayalalithaa had urged the Prime Minister to nationalise all inter-state rivers "so that water resources of the country can be optimally utilised."

Later, Palaniswamy made a slew of announcements for his department for the year 2016-17, proposing measures to rejuvenate underground water as well as lakes and constructing check dams, in different parts of the state.

The minister, who also holds the Highways and Minor Ports portfolios, proposed a series of road over-bridges in Chennai and Coimbatore among others.

Earlier, during the debate on  Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports, the minister said the state has asked the Centre to streamline toll collection in NHAI-controlled booths, suggesting that a uniform toll collection be followed in the state.

Further, the state government has also suggested that frequent revision of toll rates in the state be avoided in the interest of the road-users.