Groundwater samples from 136 of the 225 locations tested in 12 village panchayats in Chennimalai and Perundurai blocks around Perundurai SIPCOT showed excessive levels of salts, nitrates, chlorides and fluorides, according to a Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board report, a copy of which has been accessed by The Hindu.
The TWAD Board collected the samples in October and November 2025 and also submitted the test reports in the respective months. The findings, however, are yet to be made public.
They were discussed at a closed-door meeting at the SIPCOT conference hall on October 8, 2026, attended by three Ministers and Erode District Collector S. Kandasamy.
Established in 1991 on 2,700 acre, the SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre has faced allegations from farmers and residents for years that effluent from textile-processing units enter the adjoining Nallaa Odai and other waterbodies, contaminating groundwater.
In a separate assessment in February 2025, the TWAD Board found groundwater at 37 locations in four panchayats in Chennimalai block unfit for drinking. Groundwater samples from the 37 sources tested in February 2025 were excluded from the latest assessment.
Following the earlier findings, Block Development Officers installed warning boards at the affected open wells and borewells, advising the public against using the water for drinking. No such warning boards have been installed following the latest assessment, and residents continue to use the water.
Speaking to The Hindu, S. Chinnasamy, coordinator of the Perundurai SIPCOT-Affected People’s Welfare Association, expressed concern over the delay in disclosing the latest findings and urged the authorities to take action against the officials concerned.
He sought immediate measures to prevent the use of contaminated water and ensure an adequate daily supply of safe drinking water for residents and livestock.
The association also sought groundwater testing in Perundurai Municipality, Karumandichellipalayam Town Panchayat and Sullipalayam, Thudupathi and Thiruvachi village panchayats to determine whether groundwater in these areas was contaminated.
For long-term remediation, the association called for the speedy completion and commissioning of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) to treat industrial effluent and enable the treated water to be reused by industries.
It also sought the inclusion of 26 tanks and ponds in surrounding areas under the Athikadavu–Avinashi scheme to improve groundwater recharge.
The association urged the Collector to convene an urgent meeting involving elected representatives, officials of the departments concerned, representatives of affected residents and SIPCOT industrialists to discuss the findings and decide on remedial measures.
Meanwhile, Collector S. Kandasamy said a proposal seeking ₹45 crore to strengthen drinking water infrastructure in six village panchayats around Perundurai SIPCOT had been submitted to the State government.
The proposed scheme envisages supplying 30 lakh litres of safe drinking water a day to the affected population. Reverse osmosis (RO) plants would also be established with corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds from industries operating in SIPCOT, he said.
Published – October 16, 2026 06:29 pm IST
