DHARMAPURI: With water flow at Hogenakkal dwindling to 300 cusecs, the damage caused to the Cauvery river by pollution has come to the fore. The river presents a sorry sight of clothes, plastic waste and even worn-out footwear dumped by tourists.
Hogenakkal regularly attracts tens of thousands of tourists from across the country at its peak season. With mercury levels inching up, arrival of local tourists to Hogenakkal is expected to increase. The locals have urged the district administration to clean the river and prevent people from polluting it.
K Rajasekhar, a tourist from Salem, said, “The amount of trash we saw was just too much. The river bed had just rags and plastic waste. It was shocking to see the neglect. While many bins have been placed in the area, it is sad to see people dumping trash in the river. The scene ruined my experience in Hogenakkal.”
G Madhappan, a resident of Hogenakkal, said, “Tourists throw away all the waste and this has led to the accumulation of plastic waste. As far as the clothes are concerned, people who come here to perform religious ceremonies discard them in the river. Tourists must be more sensible and take care not to pollute the area.”
Officials in the tourism development department said, “We have spoken to boatmen in Hogenakkal to offer assistance in cleaning up the Cauvery river. To evolve a permanent solution, we will hold a district-level meeting in the upcoming days.”