MADURAI: While the city corporation is taking measures towards cleaning invasive plants and garbage from the Vaigai river, activists from Madurai alleged that such an action is being taken up by the city corporation only once in a blue moon, and added that periodical action has to be taken towards protecting the Vaigai river from pollutants.
Under the recently launched 'Green Madurai' scheme, the city corporation has been carrying out a series of environment-friendly initiatives in Madurai. Earlier on Friday, the corporation started off a plantation drive across wards. Considering its effect on the environment and also on the water flow to the river, the city corporation on Saturday deputed sanitation workers to clear water hyacinths, and garbage dumped in the Vaigai River.
Workers and backhoe loader machines were used for the cleaning process held near the check dam and the ghat areas near the AV bridge. Several tonnes of garbage and invasive plants collected from the river bed were bagged and cleared out of the Vaigai River.
Raja, an environmental activist associated with the Vaigai Makkal Iyakkam alleged that the corporation, throughout the year, does not notice the pollutants, including sewage that is being let into the river besides loads of garbage being dumped into the river and the presence of invasive plants and water hyacinths.
"Once in a blue moon, actions are being taken towards cleaning particular areas of the river. The city corporation must take measures towards preventing sewage releasing and dumping of garbage into the river to preserve the river," he added.