MADURAI: Within a couple of months after almost two tonnes of dead fish were removed from the Mariamman Teppakulam in Vandiyur, thick layers of garbage including plastic waste were found dumped in the temple tank on Tuesday.
Considering the environmental pollution and its ill effects, environmentalists have sought the city corporation and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to take preventive measures in this regard.
Being one of the major tourist destinations in the city, Mariamman Teppakulam attracts a large number of tourists and devotees regularly. There are nearly 100 eateries and other shops operating around the temple tank. However, despite attempts to maintain cleanliness, the tank continues to remain polluted. In November, tonnes of fish were found floating dead inside the tank and were later cleared off by HR&CE department workers. Further, despite the city corporation's efforts to prevent eateries from dumping waste into the tank water, a thick layer of algae mixed with garbage was spotted near the ghat areas for several metres on Tuesday, sources said.
Ashok Kumar, an environmentalist from Madurai, alleged that the continued dumping of plastic wastes could be fatal for fish species. "Dead fishes floating above the water have become a regular affair in the tank here. Similarly, foam issues at the Avaniyapuram tank are yet to be addressed. Though certain measures were taken, foaming remains at minimal levels at the outlet of the tank," he added.
Meanwhile, official sources said recent reports stated that several water bodies in the city have higher BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), mainly due to the increase of invasive hyacinths. Measures are being taken to prevent dumping of waste into the tank, they added.