Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 24: There have been stories about how polluted our Holy River, Ganga, is on account of various factories which empty waste into the river and untreated sewage getting mixed with the river system. We were all thee days complacent about our own holy river, Cauvery, believing it to be pure and devoid of impurities.

A government sponsored study conducted by Anna University in Tamil Nadu has revealed the hollowness of our assumption about the state of River Cauvery. The report says that the level of pollution in Cauvery river is five times more than that of Ganga. Dangerous chemical waste being dumped into this river has even contaminated underground water table.

As compared to other major rivers, the water flowing into the sea from Cauvery is much less. But the level of total dissolved solids (TDS) has reached 753 mg, which is five times that of Ganga. Every year, 8.3 cubic km of water reaches the sea from this river, the report tabled on December 9 stated.

Both Karnataka and Tamill Nadu are to blame for this pathetic situation. Underground water table has been disturbed extensively on account of chemicals released into the river at Mekedatu, Srirangapatna, Kandiyur, Appakudathan, Pannawadi, Rudrapattana etc. The report has alerted the concerned to the fact that the water from the river is becoming unfit for consumption and irrigation.

Textiles, dye,cement and other chemical factories have been dumping several tonnes of waste into this river every day. The study said that dangerous human activities centred all along 800 km stretch of the river from Talakaveri to Bay of Bengal via Poompuhar have been rendering the water of this river useless and dangerous.