Notice to Tamil Nadu over Bhavani water

Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government over hazardous water supply from the Bhavani river in Mettupalayam near Coimbatore. NHRC acted after taking suo motu cognisance of a media report that said water being supplied from the river to Mettupalayam's 0.15 million residents was unfit for consumption. The report, published on January 16, 2017, noted that according to the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the water was not potable as its turbidity and iron values exceeded permissible limits. The water was also bacteriologically unsafe due to the presence of faecal coliform, generated by excreta. It also noted that the people in the area had been contracting skin diseases.