The Union Textiles Ministry has constituted a high-level committee to study the functioning of Arulpuram Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and to advise the government on technical solutions for ensuring zero liquid discharge in the dyeing process, among other issues. According to a communiqué received at Tirupur Exporters Association here on Wednesday, the committee has Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, renowned agriculture scientist, as its chairman and V. Srinivas, joint secretary of textiles, Government of India, as its convener. The members of the committee include M.S. Ananth, former director of IIT-Madras; G.D. Yadav, Vice-Chancellor of University Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai; M.L. Gulrajani, Chair Professor (Textile technology), IIT-Delhi; S. Prabhakar, scientist, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai; and Sudha Nair, Scientist, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Duties Associaiton sources told reporters that the committee would be visiting the cluster to study, assess and advice on the technical solutions proposed by Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company for ensuring ZLD norms in the cluster. The trial run carried out by Arulpuram CETP for testing the ZLD gadgets installed on its premises would be observed by the committee. Surprise The farming community has expressed surprise over the formation of committee with M.S. Swaminathan, who always campaigned for the farmers' right, as the chairman who, according to them, had a career all through in the field of agriculture and not an expert in technical options pertaining to dyeing effluent treatment. Livelihood “Prof. Swaminathan should not accept this assignment and he should refrain from giving advice for the same dyeing units which had destroyed the livelihood of lakhs of farmers through indiscriminate discharge of effluents into the River Noyyal,” P. Sankaranarayan, an environmental activist hailing from agrarian community, told The Hindu . The naming of Prof. Swaminathan, according to Mr. Sankaranarayan, is a gimmick by the government just to soothe the affected farmers. M.S. Swaminathan will be the chairman A gimmick by the government, say farmers