COIMBATORE: The people of Somaiyampalayam Panchayat expressed anguish as water bodies in the area are polluted due to dumping of garbage. Two tanks that are separated by a check dam are the primary source of groundwater recharge for up to eight kilometres in the area.
The tanks receive water through streams from the catchment areas at the foothills of Maruthamalai. Thanks to the recent rain, both the tanks are full. Residents of the town said that it was painful to see the ponds getting polluted due to garbage dumping.
R Santhakumar, founder of Aaniver Organization, an NGO working for water bodies and environmental issues, said a fence should be around the water bodies to save them.
“The ponds that spread for ten acres were bone dry as they were filled with trash and weeds. We started the cleaning work four years ago and with the support of Somayampalayam panchayat and volunteers the bunds were strengthened and recently we planted more than 200 saplings. As a result, the tanks have reached their full capacity for the last three years. However, it is difficult to prevent dumping garbage in and around the waterbody. Despite our appeals, people continue to dump waste there. Some even dump carcasses of pet animals, which are a health hazard,” Santhakumar said.
“There is an approach road adjacent to these water bodies. At night, people access the road dumping garbage. Although the Vadavalli police station is nearby, it is not possible to find out who is dumping garbage as the road leads to an isolated area. Therefore, the only solution is to build a fence around the water bodies to protect them. We have been continuously stressing this issue during Gram Sabha meetings. The district administration should take steps to protect the water bodies,” said P Premkumar, a resident.
Suresh, who resides at Gandhi Nagar near to the ponds, said there is also a need to increase surveillance on that approach road by installing CCTV cameras, which would deter people from dumping trash.
When contacted, district Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati said he would look into the issue.