TIRUCHY: Thousands of devotees take a holy dip in the Cauvery during Aadi Amavasai and Aadi Perukku then leave behind their wet clothes. Devotees believe leaving their wet clothes in the river is part of the ritual. Every year, Selvam, an inland fisherman from Musiri, visits Amma Mandapam here to collect these clothes to sell them to traders.
Selvam has been doing this for the last 15 years and has a regular clientele among traders who are willing to take these clothes. “This river is like a mother to me. I make a living catching fish in it. But when there is no water in the river, I am left with few options, so I started gathering discarded clothes,” he said.
Though there is not much money in it, he said he makes enough to support his family. “After collecting the clothes, I will dry them, then roll them into bundles. I then sell them to traders in Chennai, who have various uses for them. Some will be shredded in mills and used for waste clothes. My income depends on the weight of the clothes. I can’t demand much money as there are only a few traders willing to come to Tiruchy to collect them.”
Nowadays, Selvam is worried about the fate of the Cauvery. “Around 15 years ago, I had to swim into the river to collect the clothes, now I can just walk into the Cauvery because of the lack of water. This has left me worried about my future and the fate of the river. If there is no water, the number of devotees visiting the river for the holy dip will come down and I would have no options left for survival,” said Selvam.
Though Selvam has little idea of the impact of climate change, he only wants the authorities to take necessary measures to save this river. “I cannot suggest what has to be done to save this river, but I know several people who depend on it for survival. Saving this river can save the lives of several people,” he said.