Youngsters living in and around a pond on Mariyamman Koil Street near Manalurpettai Road here have started cleaning it up voluntarily.
Once the drinking water needs of people living around, now garbage is dumped in it and sewage is diverted. The stone steps leading to water from the bank is mud covered. The tank is now surrounded by invasive prosopis juliflora plants. Youngsters living in the street had decided to clean it on weekends and they started their work on Sunday. They removed bottles, medical waste, including syringes, lotus stems, thermocol (polystyrene), and other garbage from the water body.
Neelagandan, an activist, said crocodiles were spotted in the pond a few years ago. After forest department officials said that the crocodiles were shifted, the youngsters started the work. Several residents expressed solidarity with the cause. Municipal officials offered to clear the debris.
M.Boovaragavan, one of those who initiated the work, told The Hindu that his forefathers used to drink water from the 22-acre pond.
“We plan to clean the tank for five Sundays. We cleaned the tank for four hours on Sunday and another set of friends cleaned it hours later. We want government support to divert sewage and set up garbage bins,” he said.
Once a source of drinking water, it is being used to dump garbage and sewage
