Sunday mornings are often the best time to relax and do things to one’s satisfaction, what with 24-hours more to go before heading to office. For a few city residents like V. Dhamotharan, Divya Krishnamurthy, M. Ponraj and many more, it was no different either. But they chose to clean the Kurichi Tank to gain some satisfaction.
In response to a call given by the Chennai Trekking Club, Save Noyyal River and VWR Labs, they along with 100 or more volunteers were at the tank to remove plastics. Armed with collection bags and gloves, they set about collecting as much plastics as possible.
Umesh Marudachalam, one of the co-ordinators of the cleaning campaign, said that nearly 150 persons collected carry bags, plastic waste and other non-degradable waste from the tank bed from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Once the bag was full with waste, they emptied it out in a corporation lorry that was parked on the tank bund to return to resume collecting waste.
Most of the volunteers at the ‘Clean Kurichi Tank’ drive were from a private company engaged in pharmaceutical business. M. Rahul, an employee of the company, said that his colleagues and he were there as his employer encouraged community service activities.
If the employees clocked considerable hours in community activities, the company recognised the same by taking it into account in performance appraisal, said Suresh Raman.
For volunteers like C.R. Santhakumar of North Coimbatore, it was the desire to do good for the city that made him participate in the cleaning drive. He was there at another community service last Sunday doing a similar work.
He came to know of the cleaning drive from a post in Facebook.
Divya Krishnamurthy of Thottipalayam said she participated in the Sunday’s event to create awareness.
People passing by the tank and those who resided in the vicinity watched the cleaning activity. They would take interest and return the next time when such an event was organised.
So, in a way her working there was also to create awareness.
Corporation Commissioner G. Latha, who was present there to encourage the volunteers, said that the Corporation had planned to undertake a similar drive on June 15 in the Selva Chinthamani Tank.
