PERUNDURAI

Perundurai constituency, represented by AIADMK MLA S. Jayakumar since 2021, has experienced significant industrial growth but faces severe environmental challenges during this period. The constituency, home to Asia's second-largest SIPCOT industrial estate with 254 industries, has seen continued industrial expansion with textile units relocating from nearby cities. However, this growth has come at a considerable cost to residents. Industrial effluents from dyeing, bleaching, and tannery units have severely contaminated waterbodies like Odaikattur Lake and Punjai Palatholuvu Lake, with water samples showing TDS levels exceeding 5,000 mg/l, causing serious health concerns including cancer among residents. The most significant development promise was a ₹136.76 crore Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) sanctioned after prolonged protests by affected residents. While the foundation stone was laid earlier, actual construction work only began recently and is expected to take 18 months to complete. The Government Erode Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai continues to operate with limited facilities (54 beds), forcing patients to travel to Salem and Coimbatore for specialized treatment. Residents have consistently demanded increased supply of protected Cauvery water as groundwater sources remain contaminated. The broader AIADMK government faced corruption allegations including a cash-for-jobs scam in the Municipal Administration Department during this period. Voters should consider both the constituency's industrial development and the unresolved environmental and health issues that have significantly impacted quality of life for residents over these five years.