WITHOUT BORDERS | VOLUME 4
However, water pollution is one of the biggest sources of concern for the future of India. Many of the streams used for drinking, bathing, and irrigation are being pumped full of chemicals, color, and plastic on a daily basis. Turning once sacred rivers and bodies of water into an uninhabitable and unsafe zone for all life. To attain economic growth that improves the lives of millions of people, while also doing so in a sustainable way that does not destroy the environment, a balance between profitability and nature needs to be achieved.
Growing cities, shrinking rivers Nationally, the textile industry provides relatively stable jobs for millions of people all across India. From hand-woven fabrics, to mega textile mill factories, this industry has continually transformed the land and its people. Foreign investment is also a major contributor to the growth of the textile industry, further producing thousands of factories and mills that create jobs. More than 40 million people are employed by the textile industry in India, and that number will continue to grow as India increases its global presence, which will further expand the industry. Tiruppur, a city in the state of Tamil Nadu, is a great example of the impacts of the textile industry boom. It is known as the Knitwear Capital of India. After India’s independence, Tiruppur was an agricultural town that obtained its water supply for crops and its people from Noyyal and Amaravati River. At first, small and family owned textile stores dotted the city as its main export continued to be agriculture.
THE INDIAN STANDARD | 77
