₹45-crore proposal to strengthen drinking water supply around Perundurai SIPCOT

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Ministers K.A. Sengottaiyan, M. Vijay Balaji and V.K. Rajeev (first left) inspecting the construction of a common effluent treatment plant on the SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre premises at Perundurai in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

A ₹45-crore proposal to strengthen SIPCOT’s existing drinking water infrastructure as a permanent solution for six village panchayats around the Perundurai SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre was discussed at a meeting held in Perundurai here on Thursday (October 8, 2026). The upgraded system is proposed to provide 30 lakh litres of water a day to the affected areas.

Residents and farmers have, for several years, claimed that polluted seepage from textile-processing units had contaminated tanks and groundwater around the industrial centre. The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board tested water samples from 37 sources in 25 villages in 2025 and found them unfit for drinking. Warning boards were subsequently placed at the sources advising residents not to use the water.

Groundwater in the six panchayats — Ingur, Varapalayam, Vaipadi, Mukasipidariyur, Punjai Palatholuvu and Sirukalanji — is unfit for drinking, and residents are currently being supplied water through the Chennimalai Combined Water Supply Scheme, the meeting was told. The Board’s findings were discussed at the meeting, along with drinking water and environmental works related to SIPCOT.

The meeting was held at the SIPCOT’s conference hall under the chairmanship of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi Minister M. Vijay Balaji and Environment and Climate Change Minister V.K. Rajeev, in the presence of Collector S. Kandasamy.

The ₹45-crore proposal includes renovation of the existing water treatment plant, construction of storage tanks and pumping rooms, and installation of pump sets and pipelines to strengthen the water supply infrastructure.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and the water treatment plant. A proposal to mobilise CSR funds for the Ingur drinking water supply scheme was also discussed. The Ministers held discussions with representatives of dyeing units, the Dyeing Association and SIPCOT industrial establishments on measures to be taken by the industries.

Officials and contractors were instructed to expedite the CETP and water treatment plant works and complete them within the stipulated deadline. They were asked to deploy adequate manpower and technical personnel and ensure uninterrupted availability of construction materials and equipment. They were also instructed to adhere to quality and safety standards, ensure coordination among departments and submit progress reports at the earliest. The three Ministers later inspected the ongoing construction of the new CETP at the SIPCOT premises.

Erode West MLA K.K.