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New Indian Express

Cauvery ghats turn garbage heaps after festivals; over one tonne waste cleared annually

TIRUCHY: Another 'Aadi Perukku' has passed by but there has been no let-up in the practice of visitors leaving behind clothes, flowers and other items used in the rituals on the banks of the bathing ghats of River Cauvery, rue city residents. Pointing out the problem to be acute at Amma mandapam in Srirangam, where the Cauvery is cleared of one tonne of discarded clothes on average annually, they urge joint efforts by the corporation and the HR&CE department to raise awareness among the public so as to yield better results. Drawing hundreds of people, particularly during new moon day and other occasions, the Amma mandapam under control of the HR&CE department, however, turns a trash pile with the visitors leaving behind clothes and pooja items in the river and on the banks, believing it is tradition. When the river flows, the waste gets carried downstream and spreads. While the corporation undertakes special drives annually, the quantity of clothes alone cleared from the river has hardly been less than one tonne every time, say officials. Expressing concern over the situation at the bathing ghat, S Ragavan, who has been working to protect waterbodies, said, "The entrance to the river is always dirty, and there are not enough signs or instructions to visitors. The Tiruchy corporation and the HR&CE department must run 24x7 awareness campaigns using speakers and assign workers to directly educate devotees. People should be guided to dump wet clothes into designated bins. If done consistently, the problem can be resolved.' A special committee comprising environmental experts and government officials should address the issue, he added. B Sridhar, a visitor to Amma mandapam from Chennai, said, "I could not bathe properly because I kept stepping on clothes floating in the river." When contacted, a senior official from the Tiruchy corporation said, "We clean the river steps every day with help from our sanitation team. We also conduct yearly clean-up drives with volunteers to remove clothes and other waste. Even though we have set up areas where people can leave used clothes, many still discard them into the river. We will review the situation and take necessary action."