WATER RIGHTS IN TANNERY POLLUTED AREA AT DINDIGUL

The Kudaganaru River which passes through 15 villages in Tamil Nadu is polluted due to the effluents discharged by 17 tanneries in Dindigul. The objective of the project is to raise awareness about tannery pollution and thereby create a pressure point for local bodies to provide safe drinking water.

SEEDS Trust conducted a scientific study with the help of Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (An Autonomous centre of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India), Coimbatore , The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore , Gandhigram Rural University , Dindigul. SEEDS Trust conducted the baseline survey in the 15 target village through interviews, soil and water testing to study the pollution levels.

The NGOs and CBOs in and around the target villages were mobilized to take up the issue. Communities living in these villages lost their drinking water sources, their cattle are sold out or dead and the trees like coconut water also stinking. People face many health hazards like kidney stone, skin diseases, heart and respiratory problems. The people are confined in their polluted area and do not know where to go for their livelihoods.SEEDS Trust is holding dialogue with the local authorities and Pollution Control Board towards remedying tannery pollution and providing good quality drinking water. The seed grant from WIN helped us to find out the seriousness of the corruption in water bodies through scientific data, the collective action of NGOs, CBOs, local bodies and Women Self Help Groups (SHGs). The ultimate objective is to eliminate the corrupt practices in the water sources in order to rescue the community and pave way to healthy generation in the forthcoming years.