BENGALURU: In view of the Chief Minister’s visit to Chamarajanagar on Friday, wildlife activists called on him to speed up the implementation of the sanitation project for Shri Male Mahadeshwara temple since he is the temple authority chairman. Forest officials reiterate that they have written many letters to the authority on the need for a scientific waste management system.
In 2016, the construction of a sewage treatment plant was approved by Male Mahadeshwara Temple Development Authority. But the project languishes with drinking water sources getting polluted and affecting the health of people and wildlife. In fact, Chamarajanagar MP Dhruvanarayana had told the authority to complete the project as soon as possible.
Shri Male Mahadeshwara temple fetches the highest revenue in the state among temples. Natural water sources upstream are contaminated with sewage and plastic debris. An activist said, “This water is consumed by devotees. Streams and rivers flowing in MM Hills are polluted and eventually flow into Cauvery river.”
Most people visiting the temple take a holy dip at Antargange, says Krishnamurthy, a resident of Hanur. “Antargange is contaminated with pollutants, including faecal matter. And even then the temple trust has not implemented the STP project.”
With the temple located in the ecological sensitive zone of a protected area, it has to follow the MoEF guidelines, 2016, that says sources of water within a sanctuary should not be contaminated.
Deputy Conservator of Forests, MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, V Yedukondalu said that the need of the hour was a scientific waste management system to tackle the dumping of plastic and sewage water into Antargange.