Beneath Dindigul’s iconic ‘malaikottai’ or rock fort is a pond called ‘Kottaikulam’. This is a waterbody maintained by the municipal corporation and during the monsoons, the rainwater that flows from atop the rock fort, gets collected in the tank.
A few years ago, the corporation constructed a separate tank at the foot of the rock fort for the purpose of immersion of Vinayaka idols during Ganesh Chaturthi, as immersion of idols was not permitted in Kottaikulam. However, gradually devotees visiting the temples in the foot of the rocky hillock, started dumping flowers and plastic waste in the tank.
At present, the tank is in a highly polluted state with plastic waste floating all over the surface apart from a bad stench emanating from it. “It has also become a ground for mosquito breeding. Moreover, since the tank is connected to Kottaikulam, pollution of the water in the tank will also affect the water in Kottaikulam. Another reason for people throwing waste in the tank is that there are no waste bins provided by the corporation in the vicinity,” said R. Nandini, a regular visitor to the Badrakaliamman Temple near by.
An official from the Corporation requesting anonymity said that the tank was cleaned last month as complaints of pollution had poured in.
“But people continue to dump puja waste and plastic bags in the tank. We have also instructed the temple administrations in the area not to encourage and allow devotees to pollute the tank,” he said. The Municipal health officer and Corporation Commissioner remained unavailable for any comments.
“The corporation cleans the tank only once in a blue moon, whenever there’s a complaint. They should rather do it regularly and fumigate the area as mosquitoe menace is a big problem. The corporation should impose fine on people who throw waste into the tank,” said P. Ravi, a resident of the area.
