CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK MLA P Thangamani on Thursday turned emotional when he attempted to draw the attention of the government in the State Assembly to the issue of setting up Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) to prevent discharge of industrial effluents into waterbodies in the western districts.

Participating in the debate on the demand for grants for industries department, Thangamani referred to the discharge of industrial effluents into water bodies in the textile industries rich western districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal and Salem, and said that a tenth of deaths in their region was due to cancer the cause of which was industrial effluents.

Nearly breaking down during the debate, Thangamani said, "I lost my sister to cancer 10 days ago. One in every 10 deaths in our region is due to cancer," attributing cancer prevalence to industrial effluents. He asked the government to come forward to set up CETPs in the region to overcome the menace. Rushing to the defence of his MLA, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the industrial effluents were discharged into Cauvery River. Recalling a representation made by him to the Prime Minister earlier in this regard, Palaniswami said that implementation of the nadanthai vaazhi Cauvery scheme would resolve the problem.

Responding to the opposition's suggestion, State Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, in his reply to the debate, said that the government has set up a CETP in E. Kumaramangalam. "It is a welcome idea. If industries come forward, the state government would extend all possible support to set up CETP," the minister added.

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