Dumping of garbage continues near Sangameswarar Temple

Despite bins are present, waste materials are dumped by the devotees

Garbage being dumped at the vehicle parking area of Sangameswarar Temple at Bhavani in Erode.

Overflowing garbage bins and waste materials dumped near the Sangameswarar Temple at Bhavani is a cause of concern for thousands of devotees visiting the temple every day.

Located at the confluence of three rivers, River Bhavani, River Cauvery and Agaya Gangai, devotees from across the State and from Kerala and Karnataka frequent visit the Lord Siva temple regularly. Also, Ayyappa devotees in large numbers visit the temple during the season from November to January.

Devotees from far off places cook food at the space available outside the temple where vehicles are parked and throw the used plates, paper cups, banana leaves, tender coconut, empty plastic water bottles, and other waste materials on the spot. Though a few bins are placed by the Bhavani municipality in the parking area, it gets filled up soon, said a shopkeeper in the area. Bins with more capacity should be kept sufficiently on the premises and cleared regularly, the shopkeeper added.

Since the bins are overflowing, many devotees threw the used items behind the parked vehicles and also in the open.

“Dogs roam in the area to consume the dumped food items and sometimes cause inconvenience to the devotees”, said another shopkeeper, who wants devotees to desist from making the temple premises into a garbage dumping yard.

But workers in the temple said that despite bins are present, waste materials, including food items are dumped by the visitors in the open in large quantities. They wanted the devotees to extend their cooperating in keeping the premises clean.