Despite being a habitat for several living organisms and a charger of city’s groundwater level, Valankulam is facing threat in the form of pollution and encroachment.
Surrounded by roads for long stretch, the water body is becoming a safe place to dump non-biodegradable waste, sewage and concrete debris at night. Besides, waste is strewn on the banks of the tank by a number of eateries, vendors of sugar cane juice and tender coconut.
More than 1,000 bottles including that of liquor were removed from the banks of the tank in a recent cleaning drive conducted by two NGOs.
“We removed half tonne of waste from the tank during the cleaning drive for a few hours. Plastic bottles, liquor bottles, polythene sheets used instead of banana leaf and plastic cups are being dumped in the tank. Of late, we have been engaging people living close to each water body for the cleaning drive so that they realise the real threat of pollution and littering. Many who took part in the cleaning drives have said that they were not aware of the gravity of the issue until they themselves picked up garbage,” said Sanjay Prasad, chief coordinator,
Environmentalist Foundation of India which conducts cleaning drives in city tanks along with Kovai Kulangal Paathukaapu Amaipu on Sundays.
The link road connecting Classic Tower junction on Tiruchi Road with Sungam-Ukkadam bypass has become a safe place for dumping concrete debris.
Miscreants have levelled a portion of the water body at one point on the road by levelling debris.
“The dumping is done at night and I have personally stopped and informed the civic body on some occasions. Ambulance operators are supporting the act so that they will get a space to park the vehicles. We appeal to the Coimbatore Corporation to allot a place or arrange abandoned and unused quarries to dump debris. A mechanism can also arranged wherein people who want debris for levelling dry wells can get the same from contractors,” said R. Manikandan of Kovai Kulangal Paathukaapu Amaipu.
Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan said that a team from the civic body would be sent to the spot, and ensured appropriate action.
“We will also look to demarcate various collection points for construction and demolition waste. The processing plant coming up at Ukkadam for construction and demolition waste will provide a long lasting solution,” said Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan.
People who live on the side of the bypass near Sungam also allege that sucker trucks used for cleaning septic tank are also releasing waste into the tank.
Waste water from automatic water washer of TNSTC depot is released into the tank.
