Armed with gloves, masks and bins, Corporation officials and sanitary workers and students of Meenakshi Government College for Women started a two-day clean-up drive of the Vaigai on Monday.
The exercise, initiated under the ‘Alagiya Madurai Maanagar Thittam’ (AMMA Scheme), began in the presence of Corporation Commissioner Kiran Gurrala and Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa.
The Mayor said that through this cleanliness drive, they hoped to involve the public and spread awareness of the need to keep the river free of pollution. “We will also address the issue of sewage being discharged into the river. We plan to have two garbage lorries stationed on the river banks to collect garbage through the day,” he said.
The Vaigai river bed, which is dry in most parts, is often used as a garbage dump by people in the surrounding areas as well as passers-by. People just fling garbage bags into the river. Encroachments along the banks also pose a problem. The clean-up drive will cover a six-km stretch between Vilangudi and Teppakulam (PTR bridge). Nearly 150 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from Meenakshi college took part in the drive on Monday and more students and organisations are expected to join the clean-up drive on Tuesday.
The bulk of the work will, however, be carried out by 200 Corporation conservancy workers. They will make use of 12 tractors, 2 tipper lorries and four small machines.
