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The Impact of Noyyal River Basin on the Quality of Ground Water in Tiruppur
District - A Study

Article in International Journal of Engineering & Technology · September 2018

DOI: 10.14419/ijet.v7i3.35.29151

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 International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7 (3.35) (2018) 74-81

International Journal of Engineering & Technology

Website: www.sciencepubco.com/index.php/IJET

Research paper

The Impact of Noyyal River Basin on the Quality of Ground Water in

Tiruppur District - A Study
K. Ravichandran1 Dr. R. Sundararajan2 Dr. N. Balasundaram3 Dr. T. Senthil Vadivel4

1Research scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore-641021, Tamilnadu.
Email.id: [email protected]
2Registrar, Department of Civil Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore-641021, Email.id:
[email protected]
3Professor and HOD, Department of Civil Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore-641021, Tamilnadu.
Email.id: [email protected]
4Professor & Head, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering & Technology, Adamas University, Kolkata – 700126. West
Bengal. Email: [email protected]

Abstract

The textile dyeing units operating in Tiruppur have provided Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants and the system has been in operation for
the past ten years. Data on the quality of ground and surface water available with various government agencies such as Public Works
Department, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Central Ground Water Board for the past ten years were collected for the study. Visual
MODFLOW, a mathematical Model was used as a tool in the study for analysing the migration of contaminants in the ground water. The
parameter, Total Dissolved solids (TDS) was used to represent the contamination level in the ground water. The study area, covering the
cluster of industries upstream and downstream of Tiruppur Corporation was selected, and using the data for the period from 2008 to 2017, the
Model was validated. The validated Model was used to make prediction of ground water quality for the next ten years under different
scenario.

Keywords: Ground water quality. MODFLOW, Noyyal River, Zero Liquid Discharge
1. Introduction
2. Study Area
Noyyal River originates at Velliangiri hills of in the Western Ghats
and flows through Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Karur Districts The area selected for study mainly falls in Tiruppur district of Tamil
and confluences with River Cauvery at Noyyal village of Karur Nadu covering 7.5KM distance on either side of the River to a total
District. The Noyyal River and the Orathupalayam Dam located at distance of
downstream side of Tiruppur city is notorious for industrial pollution 40KM.(Size-L =40KM and width= 15KM). The Latitude and
from the cluster of Textile dyeing units operating in and around Longitude of the area are 77o14’’00”E to’ 77o 35’14” E
Tiruppur Town. The indiscriminate discharge of effluents from the and11o01’48”N to ’11o 10’00” N respectively.
textile dyeing units has polluted the River basin and the
Orathupalayam Dam and affected the quality of ground water in the
area. The Hon’ble High court of Madras and Hon’ble Supreme court
of India, in a Public Interest Litigation petition filed by the affected
farmers’ association, have passed several orders including payment
of compensation to the affected farmers based on the contamination
level of ground water, implementation of ZLD technology by the
dyeing units either collectively or individually and closure of
industrial units not complying with the standards. Presently the
dyeing units have installed ZLD system collectively in 18 CETPs
and individually in 48 units, and no unit is allowed to operate
without ZLD plant. The ZLD plants installed by these units have
been in operation for more than ten years. The quality of ground
water around Tiruppur available right now and that of the future was Fig. 1: Noyyal River Base Map
predicted under different scenarios, using Visual Modflow.
Copyright © 2018 Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
75 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

The following seven monitoring was selected covering upstream and 4. Objective of the Study
downstream side of the cluster and other important points.
3. Data Collection • To carry out a detailed assessment of the quality of
existing groundwater on Noyyal river basin, which is
3.1 Primary Data highly polluted by industrial discharge.

• To predict the groundwater quality in this area over a

The following seven monitoring wells were selected covering the
period of next 10 years by using VISUAL MODFLOW
upstream and downstream side of the Tiruppur dyeing industrial
model under various scenarios.
cluster. Samples were collected and analysed for the year 2015, 2016
and 2017, and base line water quality was created.
• To suggest remedial measures to improve the groundwater
The following are the locations of wells. quality in this area.
1. S1-Dugwell adjacent to Orathupalayam Dam
(20km d/s) 11 º 05 ' 49 ” N:77 º32 ' 46 ” E
5. Methodology
2. S2-Dugwell at S.Periyapalayam The study was carried out using Visual MODFLOW. Visual
(6km d/s). 11 º 08 ' 00 ” N:77 º24 ' 15 ” E MODFLOW provided professional 3D groundwater flow and
3. S3-Murugasamy garden bore well contaminated transport modeling using MODFLOW, MODPATH
(6km d/s). 11 º 07 ' 20 ” N:77 º23 ' 58 ” E and MT3D. MODFLOW simulated groundwater flow within the
4. S4-Boopathy’s RasiThottam open well aquifer using block-centered finite-difference approach. MODPATH
11 º 08 ' 35 ” N:77 º20 ' 30 ” E tracked particle from one cell to the next until the particle reaches a
5. S5-Corporation bore well – Veerapandy bus stop. boundary. MT3D was a Comprehensive three dimensional numerical
11 º 03 ' 47 ” N:77 º21 ' 06 ” E model for simulating solute transport in complex hydro geologic
settings.
6. S6-Rajamani bore well The study area was divided into 200 m x 200m grid, and 15000 cells
11 º 02 ' 00 ” N:77 º19 ' 28 ” E. were created. The input parameters such as ground level, aquifer
7. S7-Muthurathinam open well characters, initial ground water level (2008 data from State ground
11 º 06 ' 23 ” N:77 º15 ' 57 ” E. water Board), Rainfall and boundary conditions were fed into the
Model. The Ground water level computed by the Model for the year
3.2 Secondary Data 2017 was compared with the values observed in the observation well
and the Model was validated. Total Dissolved solids (TDS) in
1 PWD- Groundwater i). Tiruppur District groundwater ground water were selected as particle and the initial concentration
Division, Chennai profile data of the year 2008 was fed into the Model, and the recharge
ii). Monitoring well data concentration details were fed into the Model. The TDS
2 PWD – Irrigation division Noyyal River Water flow and concentration level computed by the Model for the year 2017 was
Erode quality
3 Loss of Ecology (P&PC) Report on assessment of loss of
compared with the values observed in the observation well, and the
Authority ecology and environment in Model was validated. By using the validated Model prediction of
Noyyal River basin TDS concentration in the ground water was predicted under different
4 Central Ground Water Board, i). Well water quality and level scenario for the next ten years.
Chennai data
ii). Exploratory tube well reports 6. Pollution Load on the River System
5 Regional Meteorological Rainfall data for Tiruppur
Department, Chennai district
6 Survey of India, Chennai Tiruppur district maps on
At present about 400 textile dying units are connected with common
drainage, soil, geology, effluent plant treatment system (CETPs), and 50 dyeing units have
geomorphology provided individual treatment system (IETPs) with ZLD concept.
7 TNPCB, Tiruppur (north) CETPs, ETPs, STPs & River There are several issues connected with the operation and
water analysis reports maintenance of ZLD plants such as high capital and operational cost,
requirement of skilled man power for the operation and problems
associated with the disposal of a huge quantity of hazardous waste.
For the purpose of the study it is assumed that about 10% of the
pollution load generated from the dyeing units is left untreated and
reaches the ground water either directly or indirectly.

Table 1: .Effluent generation capacity of dyeing units in Tiruppur..

Sl.No Name Of The Cetp Design Capacity(Kld) Operation Level(Kld)
1 Andipalayam Cetp 2730 820
2 Angeripalayam Cetp 10000 4000
3 Chinnakarai Cetp 8000 4000
4 Eastern Cetp 6000 4500
5 Kallikadu Cetp 3000 1500
6 Kaspalayam Cetp 4400 3520
7 Mangalam Cetp 3880 1164
8 Mannarai Cetp 4165 2400
International Journal of Engineering & Technology 76

9 Park Cetp 2500 2250

10 Rayapuram Cetp 5500 2750
11 Sirupooluvapatty Cetp 5000 2500
12 S.Periyapalayam Cetp 1200 180
13 Tiruppur Murugampalayam Cetp 9460 4730
14 Veerapandy Cetp 11929 7160
15 Vettuvapalayam Cetp 1300 195
16 Arulpuram Cetp 5500 4950
17 Karaipudhur Cetp 4500 3150
18 Kunnangalpalayam Cetp 4500 2250
19 Ietp 25000 25000
Total 77019 Kld
It is estimated that about 77019Kilo litres/daily(KLD) is increase by 1.5 times and the water quality was
generated from the dyeing units in Tiruppur, and the average TDS predicted.
value of the raw effluent is about 6000 mg/l, assuming that,with
10% TDS going into River system, the estimated pollution load is 8. Results and Discussion
46.2 Tonnes//day.(=0.1 x 6g/l x 77019 x 1000 kg=46.2
Tonnes/day). 8.1. Noyyal River Flow

7. Prediction Scenario The PWD Irrigation Department is collecting samples of daily

inflow and outflow, and the TDS value in the dam and the
After validation of the Model Groundwater quality (TDS) was average values are given in the table and in the chart. The
predicted for the next 10 years for the following scenarios: monthly average flow in the River at the downstream side of
Tiruppur from the year 2011 to 2017 varies between 25 and 60
1. If the present scenario continued. In this it was assumed cusecs except for a month or two. Further, the River is always in
10% of effluent generated would be discharged into the dry condition on the upstream side and the flow is recorded only
River system. during rain. The flow recorded in the dam is mainly contribution
from domestic sewage from Tiruppur corporation area and from
2. If the pollution was doubled with 20% of effluent dyeing and other garment industries, which are using
discharged into the River system. This might be under considerable quantity of ground water and discharging effluents
the condition that production was doubled due to into the River system either directly or indirectly. The average
industrial growth or more accidental discharge was value of TDS recorded during the study period varies from 2500
made into the River system. mg/l to 3000 mg/l, and it reveals that there is a contribution of
TDS from the dyeing units even though it is claimed that they
3. If the groundwater recharge was increased by 1.5 have installed and are operating ZLD plants and the assumption
times and ZLD by the industries. Presently during flow of 10 % discharge of pollutants into the River system is a valid
in the River the water is not stored in the dam. If water one.
was stored in the Dam and more water storage
structures were created there, the recharge would

Table 2: Average flow recorded in Noyyal River at Orathupalayam dam

Year
Month 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Jan 122 161 28 40 83 82 23
Feb 64 130 42 34 40 45 26
Mar 63 64 26 19 49 34 10
Apr 95 59 20 19 71 33 4
May 80 58 19 47 154 44 28
Jun 156 34 21 31 194 41 30
Jul 49 45 20 22 72 48 10
Aug 68 31 26 37 46 38 48
Sep 92 25 20 82 49 35 208
Oct 132 62 105 158 87 38 76
Nov 555 51 39 103 153 47 72
Dec 330 35 42 85 137 34 71
77 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

NOYYAL ORATHUPALAYAM DAM FLOW(cusecs)

600

FLOW(cusecs)
400

200

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
MONTH

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Fig. 2: Average flow in Orathupalayam dam

Table 3: Average TDS recorded in Noyyal River at Orathupalayam dam

Year
Month 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
JAN 4294 2726 2868 2629 3171 2994 3010
FEB 4171 2697 2521 2629 3379 3472 2665
MAR 3371 2784 2639 2990 2887 3584 2973
APR 2767 2723 2630 2990 2740 3653 3004
MAY 2752 2519 2616 2845 2461 3423 2852
JUN 2263 2610 2630 2730 2397 3435 2826
JUL 2603 2490 2726 2777 2555 3074 2900
AUG 2594 2435 2523 2681 2774 3058 2458
SEP 2300 2417 2610 2760 2693 2535 1893
OCT 2316 2365 2426 2468 2129 2506 2503
NOV 1947 2773 2627 2847 2170 2532 2571
DEC 2390 3019 2652 3148 2523 2900 2758
NOYYAL ORATHUPALAYAM DAM TDS profile(mg/l)
5000

4000

3000
TDS

2000

1000

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
MONTH

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Fig. 3: Average TDS in Orathupalayam dam

8.2. Ground Water Quality in the Monitoring Wells. There was no organic pollution load in the monitoring wells and
it was evident from the very low values of Total Suspended
Even though the study was conducted mainly for TDS value, the Solids, BOD, and COD observed in all the seven monitoring
other parameters Chloride, Sulphate and Hardness were analysed wells.
during 2018, and the report of analysis (ROA) is given in table
4.2 and the said parameters follow the same pattern of TDS.

Table 4: Water quality in monitoring wells.

S. No Parameters S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7
International Journal of Engineering & Technology 78

1 pH 7.56 7.45 7.89 7.57 8.18 7.32 7.38

2 Total Suspended olids(mg/l) 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
3 Total Dissolved Solids(mg/l) 3150 2500 3660 4816 2192 3612 5316
4 Chloride (as Cl) (mg/l) 1450 1210 1322 1923 673 1346 2067
5 Sulphate (as SO4) (mg/l) 650 533 725 947 475 825 1190
6 COD(mg/l) 35 61 41 32 24 203 97
7 BOD 3 days at 270c(mg/l) 5 6 3 2 2 18 8
8 Oil & Grease(mg/l) <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
9 AmmonicalNitrogen(mg/l) <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
10 Phenolic Compounds(mg/l) <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005
11 Total Hardness(mg/l) 1215 710 600 1480 1880 980 1860
12 % Sodium 53 52 82 61 50 59 64

8.3. Tds Profile in Monitoring Wells in Scenario S1, S2, in the TDS value is observed around the dam area. Further, the
And S3 ground water quality almost follows the same pattern for the next
ten years in scenario -1 and scenario-2, as there is no water
S1-Dugwell adjacent to Orathupalayam Dam (20km d/s) storage proposed in the dam in the near future. Further, if rain
There was a drastic reduction in the values of TDS during 2008 - water is stored in the dam for improving recharge by making
2017. Water storage in the Orathupalayam Dam has been bypass arrangement for polluted water, it shows that there is
completely stopped from the year 2004, and there is a gradual improvement in the ground water quality in the adjoining areas.
improvement in the ground water quality, and a drastic reduction
8000
7000
6000
5000
TDS(mg/L)

4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
year
Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 4: TDS profile in dug well adjacent to Orathupalayam dam

8.3.1. S2 And S3-Wells Located 6km D/S Of Industrial Both wells follow the same pattern under scenario -1 and
Cluster scenario-2, and there is a slight increase in the TDS value, which
reveals an increase in the contamination level. Improving the
The S2-Dugwell at S.Periyapalayam is located adjacent to recharge to 1.5 times by making suitable water storage structures
S.Periyapalayam Eri and S3-Murugasamy garden bore well is in the River basin reduces the contamination level in the ground
located adjacent to the River and both wells are about 6 km water under scenario-3.
downstream of industrial cluster.
79 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

4000
3500
3000
TDS(mg/l) 2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

YEAR Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 5: S2 TDS profile in dug well adj to S.Periyapalayam

5000
4500
4000
3500
TDS(mg/l)

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

YEAR Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 6: S3.TDS profile in Murugasamy garden bore well.

8.3.2. S4, S5 And S6-Tds Trend In Wells In The Textile Dyeing Cluster.

These wells are located within Tiruppur Corporation area and within the dyeing cluster area.
International Journal of Engineering & Technology 80

8000
7000
6000

TDS(mg/l)
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

YEAR Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 7 : S4-Boopathy’s RrasiThottam open well

4500
4000
3500
3000
TDS(mg/l)

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
YEAR
Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 8: S5-Corporation bore well – Veerapandy bus stop

6000
5000
4000
TDS(mg/l)

3000
2000
1000
0
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

YEAR Scenario-1 Scenario-2 Scenario-3

Fig. 9: S6-Rajamani bore well

 81 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

In all these wells during 2008-2017, there was a gradual increase

in contamination level within the cluster area, whereas the
contamination level gradually reduced in other areas away from
the cluster, especially in the dam area. This might be due to a
strict implementation of the operation of ZLD plants by the
enforcement agencies. The same trend would continue in future
also in scenario-1 and scenario-2.

9. Conclusions
After the implementation of ZLD technology by dyeing units
there has been improvement of ground water quality in the study
area. There is a considerable reduction in TDS value around the
dam area, whereas the contaminant level increases within the
cluster area. Providing adequate recharge structures in the River
and for storing rain water in the Dam and S.Periyapalayam Eri
will improve the recharge and the ground water quality.

References

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D Ambiga5,2015, “Geochemical Process Controlling Groundwater
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