TVK Environment Minister Dr VK Rajeev has come under fire after attributing river foaming primarily to domestic sewage containing detergents from soaps and shampoos rather than industrial effluents, triggering comparisons with former minister Sellur K Raju’s controversial thermocol experiment, as reported in DT Next.
Rajeev made the remarks on Tuesday after inspecting a river affected by foaming. His explanation drew ridicule from opposition leaders and on social media, with Raju himself joining in the mockery. Raju reportedly suggested that Rajeev deserved a Nobel Prize for his finding.
Raju had previously become the subject of widespread jokes over his experiment of spreading thermocol sheets across a lake to reduce water evaporation.
Responding to Rajeev’s remarks, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss said even children knew that river foaming, particularly in the Noyyal River, was caused by textile dyeing effluents discharged into water bodies.
Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran also criticised the minister, accusing the government of shifting responsibility for pollution onto ordinary citizens.
He said attributing severe river pollution to household soap use was absurd and reflected an alarming lack of accountability on the part of the Environment Department.
Following the backlash, Rajeev defended his explanation by citing scientific studies and inspections conducted by pollution control authorities.
The minister referred to a 2020 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study of the Yamuna River, which identified sewage containing surfactants, detergents and phosphorus as a major cause of foaming.
He also cited the foaming observed at the Kelavarapalli dam in Krishnagiri district, attributing it to sewage flowing from Bengaluru.
Rajeev further said that a Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board inspection following a foaming incident in Vaniyambadi on October 22 had identified surfactants as the cause, with no evidence of other industrial pollutants.
Addressing allegations of industrial pollution, the minister referred to complaints about dyeing units discharging effluents into agricultural fields in Salem district, stating that officials had intervened.
He also accused previous governments of allowing industrial effluents to be discharged in exchange for money, claiming that the present government was acting swiftly against pollution.
Rajeev said the government was exploring technical solutions, including the use of bacterial and algal cultures, to improve water quality at the Kelavarapalli dam. He added that officials had been instructed to respond promptly to pollution complaints and prevent industrial and hazardous waste from endangering the public.
ஆற்றுப் படுகைகளில் நுரை பொங்கும் பிரச்சனைக்கு சோப்பு, ஷாம்பு காரணம் – அமைச்சர் ராஜீவ் புதிய விளக்கம்..
#Tiruppur | #Rajeev | #River | #PolimerNews https://t.co/BeHf8q7DtS
— Polimer News (@polimernews) October 27, 2026
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