Farmers, residents raise pollution concerns over proposed FSTP in Muthulapuram

Farmers and residents have opposed the proposal to set up Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) on the riverbed of Vaippar river in Muthulapuram in Thoothukudi district, expressing fears that the facility could contaminate groundwater in the area.

It was said that the District Rural Development Agency has proposed a land which is under classification of mattuthavani for setting up the facility to handle waste from Vilathikulam and Pudur blocks which together have around 90 village panchayats. However, the proposal has not been well received among the farmers and residents, who fear that the facility could pose sanitation hazards and contaminate groundwater, leading to various health risks.