Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur districts are major textile processing clusters in the region has been a focus area not only for the industry but also for the Government to set up common facilities to treat the effluents and manage the waste generated from the treatment plants as these units continue to discharge untreated effluents in the drains polluting the ground water in the areas concerned.

The State Government had announced Rs. 700 crore scheme in 2014 to address the pollution problem in four districts (Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur) in the region and rehabilitate the small and medium-scale processing units. The Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company was involved to prepare the feasibility study.

Apart from this, the Southern India Mills’ Association has also proposed two processing parks – one at Cuddalore and another at Ramanathapuram.

While the Cuddalore park is for large-scale processing units, the one at Ramanathapuram is for small and medium-scale processors.

At least four units are ready to invest in the Cuddalore Park immediately.

The association is continuing discussions with the State Government for the park proposed at Ramanathapuram, said sources in the association.

The association has also appealed to the Union Government to sanction permission to go in for marine discharge system, apart from zero liquid discharge systems.