Farmers oppose Salem Yarn Colouring Park citing water contamination

Alleging that the State government and the district administration were destroying water resources in the name of establishing a textile park, members of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), staged a demonstration on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) opposing the project. They are demanding that the project be relocated, citing its adverse impact on farmers and the public.

The farmers said that though the project had been named the Salem Yarn Colouring Park (SYCP) and proposed on 187 acres at Jagir Ammapalayam, it was effectively a dyeing park that would lead to contamination of water sources in more than 40 villages in the region. They said they had only recently become aware of the project’s implications, leading to strong opposition.

If implemented, the project would contaminate groundwater, affecting drinking water sources as well as water used for agriculture and domestic purposes, they alleged. They blamed the district administration for failing to seek the consent of local residents before proposing the project.

Terming the handling of the issue by both the State government and the district administration unacceptable, the farmers pointed to groundwater contamination in Tiruppur, Perundurai, and Pallipalayam due to dyeing units and reiterated their demand that the project be relocated.