Coimbatore: Bhavani River , which was recently found to be contaminated with high amounts of faecal matter, has a new source of pollution - A municipality-run public toilet located near the bridge on Ooty Main Road at Odanthurai.A report from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) in February had found the river water highly contaminated with faecal matter.M Jaikumar, joint secretary of Save Bhavani Trust said the toilet was constructed two years ago. "It was not in use for several months. We found it open again recently. A private house constructed near the toilet is also discharging waste into the river. We are trying really hard to educate people and ensure that river contamination is reduced. However, if the government itself indulges in such activities, it becomes really difficult to protect the river," he told TOI.R Santhamoorthy, managing trustee of Save Bhavani Trust said, "Public toilets should not be constructed on river banks. It is a violation."Dr N Mageshwaran, a paediatrician, said there is an increase in the number of hepatitis A cases in the region. "Such contamination poses a serious health hazard. Some common diseases caused due to mixing of faecal matter are, acute gastroenteritis, typhoid, leptospirosis, cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea. Last month, I treated five children infected by hepatitis A. Babies are especially vulnerable," he said. Several such toilets have been constructed at SM Nagar and near Sriranganarayan stream, the doctor added.Jaikumar said that it was not just the drainage from these toilets. "Almost entire municipal waste from toilets such as those located near the bus stands also end up in the river," he said.Meanwhile, special officer and commissioner in-charge of Mettupalayam municipality said, "We are planning to implement a pilot project near S M Nagar and Sriranganarayan stream where municipal waste enters river. We are planning to use microbes to clean the waste before it enters the river."

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