Two days after Adi Perukku, which was celebrated with gaiety thanks to copious water flow in the River Cauvery on Friday, the bathing ghat at Amma Mandapam in Srirangam presents a sordid state with discarded cloths and puja items.
Though the people thronged the banks of the Cauvery at several locations, it was Amma Mandapam that saw a huge arrival of devotees from dawn to dusk. Since the river was in full flow, the devotees were not allowed to enter beyond the iron-barricade built at the bathing ghat. The devotees, as usual, left cloths, leaves, garlands and other puja items at the bathing ghat. Not many people were seemed to bother to use the dust bins for placing discarded items.
Dhoties, saris, flowers, fruits, banana leaves and others articles were seen strewn at various points.
It was observed that the Tiruchi City Corporation had employed its men and machine to clear the garbage generated on the day of Adi Perukku. Despite their work, garbage had piled up at Amma Mandapam.
Sudha, a devotee of Cantonment, who visited the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat along with her family members, said that the system being put in place to ensure smooth flow of water at the bathing ghat was not efficient, thereby causing stagnation of water. It had almost become slushy and dirty at the bathing ghat. The devotees had to wade through decaying waste materials to do pujas.
She added that more dust bins should have been placed at different points. Similar to the announcements made on public address system in regulating crowd, a system had to be found to prevent dumping of discarded materials in the water, devotees felt.
