CHENNAI: Bringing back memories of the then minister Sellur K Raju’s thermocol experiment, Environment Minister Dr VK Rajeev claimed that foam in rivers was primarily caused by domestic sewage containing detergents and not industrial effluents, a remark that triggered similar sarcasm and trolling that Raju faced years ago.
In fact, such was the response that even Raju himself mocked the minister, suggesting that he deserved a Nobel Prize for the finding.
Minister Rajeev made the remarks on Tuesday after inspecting a river affected by foaming. Responding to this comment, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said even children knew that river foaming, particularly in the Noyyal, was caused by textile dyeing effluents discharged into water bodies.
AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran accused the government of shifting responsibility onto ordinary citizens. He said attributing severe river pollution to household soap use was absurd and reflected an alarming lack of accountability on the part of the Environment Department.
Joining them was Raju, who was the butt of all jokes for his experiment using thermocol to cover a lake to reduce evaporation. Mocking Rajeev’s explanation, Raju compared it to the controversy over his own remarks.
After he was ridiculed on social media, Rajeev cited scientific studies and pollution control board inspections to defend his position.
Citing a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study of the Yamuna conducted in 2020, Rajeev said sewage containing surfactants, detergents and phosphorus was a major cause of foaming. He also cited foaming at the Kelavarapalli dam in Krishnagiri, attributing it to sewage flowing from Bengaluru.
He also said a Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board inspection of a foaming incident in Vaniyambadi on October 22 found surfactants to be the cause, with no evidence of other industrial pollutants.
The minister also referred to complaints about dyeing units discharging effluents into agricultural fields in Salem, saying officials had intervened. He accused the previous governments of allowing industrial effluents to be discharged in return for money and said the present government was acting swiftly against pollution.
Rajeev said the government was exploring technical solutions, including bacterial and algal cultures, to improve water quality at the Kelavarapalli dam. He added that officials had been instructed to act promptly on pollution complaints and prevent industrial and hazardous waste from harming the public.