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Canals Choked: Faecal Levels Off the Charts!
28 Nov
Summary
- Faecal contamination in Kerala canals is alarmingly high, reaching 'too numerous to count' levels.
- NEERI study found severe pollution in Thevara-Perandoor and Edappally canals in Ernakulam.
- Untreated wastewater discharge threatens water quality, lacking adequate treatment facilities.

Faecal contamination levels in select Kerala canals, including Thevara-Perandoor and Edappally, are alarmingly high, with readings categorized as 'too numerous to count' (TNC) in a recent NEERI study. This severe pollution is attributed to the direct discharge of untreated domestic sewage and wastewater, exacerbated by a lack of adequate treatment facilities along the canal systems.
The study, commissioned by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board following a National Green Tribunal directive, found significant faecal coliform presence in water samples from Ernakulam and Kollam. In Thevara-Perandoor canal, TNC levels were detected at four locations, with others showing substantial colony-forming units per 100 ml. Edappally canal also exhibited high contamination, with one location at TNC and others showing significant levels.




