Almost all the rivers in the city are dying, including the Killi river, on which a large number of people depend for their livelihood. Pollution caused by untreated sewage has made the river water unfit for even washing clothes, making the life and future of ‘dhobis’ uncertain.
On the banks of the Killi river here, one can see around a dozen dhobis engaged in washing clothes from early in the morning. One among them, Santhosh, says he once did the work with passion, but now it is just for earning money that he continues.
Earlier, there were around 80 families engaged in the work in the city, but now their number has come down to 10. “It has been 20 years since I started the work. I still remember those days when all of us went together to work in a group; working, chatting and enjoying the days,” says Santhosh. The other workers agree. One woman says that when they wash the clothes now, they have to use a lot of bleach, or else the clothes turn black in colour.
Garbage floats along the edges of the river. The workers allege that the waste water from Pangode market and also other solid wastes from households and hotels are thrown into the river.
In the Killi river, about 80 per cent of the pollution comes from untreated sewage, mainly from houses along the water body. “People who are actually suffering from this don’t really have a voice. It is the poor people, the poor dhobis depending on the river, who are falling sick,” says Santhosh.
The government is indeed spending money on tackling the river pollution. In fact, the authorities had earlier agreed to construct facilities for the dhobis, including a facility to wash even during rain, more washing stones on the bank of the river and clearing the wastes. However, none of the promises have been fulfilled till date. Interestingly, these washermen wash the clothes of even MLAs, ministers, political leaders and even those in the film industry, none of whom have bothered to look into their issues.
Ayyappan, another dhobi, too has had a miserable day and was cursing himself while going back home after a morning toiling by the river. All that he washed were two bundles, which in previous years was ten or more. “Ten years ago, I used to wash clothes with passion and did my work throughout the day. Now all my zeal has ended and I pursue my work only to feed my family and give better education for my children. The river has turned so dirty that we are finding it difficulty to carry out our work,” he says.
According to Ayyappan, it is certain that within 5-6 months, all the washermen in the Killi will stop their work, owing to the pollution as well as the widespread mechanisation in the field, and that with their generation, the profession will die out.