ARIYALUR: Stagnating sewage and dumping of waste have made visits to the cemetery on Tiruchy Road in Ariyalur a nightmare for the district's Christian community who wish to bury or remember their dead. Maintained by the Roman Catholics, the cemetery located near Sitheri Lake on Tiruchy Road has over 500 concrete and sand memorials, and families ritually clean and garland them during anniversaries and on the Kallarai Thirunal (Cemetery Festival).
For the past few years, however, sewage from nearby municipal drainage canals has been flooding the cemetery, submerging some of the memorials in them. If that weren't enough, the cemetery has also turned into a spot for the dumping of poultry and other waste.
All of this has discouraged the Christian community from observing memorials for their dead at the cemetery. The municipality, some of them complain, is yet to come forward to do anything about it. A Thomas Yesudas, a resident, told TNIE, "We used to observe my younger brother's death anniversary and the cemetery festival here, and we consider this cemetery sacred.
Now because of the stench emanating from the stagnating sewage, many of us have no choice but to pray in the cemetery premises and leave. Some families wanted to paint and renovate their memorials, but have been unable to do so far." R Sankar, an activist said,
"Cattle drink this sewage mistaking it for a pond; this not only makes them sick but also causes diarrhoea. The municipality should prevent sewage from entering the cemetery, and it should also prevent littering." When contacted, an Ariyalur municipality official told TNIE, "We will check the issue and take action."