Selva Chinthamani Tank on the Selvapuram Road was full with positive energy on Sunday morning as hundreds of city residents, representatives of a host of civic organisations, conservancy workers, Rapid Action Force, Coimbatore City Police and Coimbatore Corporation officials joined hands for a cleaning drive.
After two to three hours of cleaning, the Tank was free of 53 tonnes of garbage. The Corporation had deployed 33 lorries, 18 mini lorries and seven earth movers to ease the cleaning operation.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply S.P. Veluamni inaugurated the cleaning drive, which saw the participation of District Collector Archana Patnaik, Corporation Commissioner G. Latha, Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu, Mayor in-charge Leelavathi Unni, City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan and other officials.
The Corporation had divided its team into four to carry out the cleaning operation at various parts of the Tank. Supervised by sanitary inspectors, assistant commissioners and engineers, the members of the public and conservancy workers removed plastics, broken bottles and other waste. Mr. Velumani said that the Sunday’s cleaning operation was only the beginning of a series of such drives the civic body had planned to clean the eight tanks under its control.
The Corporation would also take efforts to clean the Kurichi Tank.
The cleaning operation also saw enthusiastic participation from the residents. N. Sunitha of Chetti Street said that when non-government organisations and other agencies cleaned the Big Tank and Kurichi Tank, she would look at the Selva Chinthamani Tank hoping earnestly for such a cleaning operation. And when it happened on Sunday morning, she could only rush with crow bar and billhook to be the first among the few to start clearing bushes, she said.
She lives opposite the Tank.
S.N. Raja of NaMo Peravai said that 20 volunteers from the organisation were there to participate in the cleaning drive, as it was their duty to do so.
A couple of km away in the Kurichi Tank, residents of the area gathered to conduct an inter-religious prayer meeting and a cleaning drive to ensure that the Kurichi Tank got as much water as possible in the next few months.
The volunteers there took out a rally through Sarada Mill Road, Sundarapuram and neighbouring areas to create awareness among residents. Members of more than 40 organisations, including residents’ welfare associations, also participated.
