At a time when doubts were raised on genuineness of studies undertaken by some research scholars, a group of schoolchildren in Tiruchi have embarked on a serious project on environmental degradation of the Uyyakondan river because of the indiscriminate dumping of waste.
Besides attending the classes, the team comprising C. Shenroy, D. Mervin Jones, S. Sabari Raja, F. Arul Michael Antony, and B. Rayan Joseph, studying Plus One in St. James Matriculation School, visited the vulnerable points where domestic, bio and non-bio gradable wastes are let into the river.
For a good cause
They claim that they had taken up the project for a good cause to create awareness among the people on saving the river from pollution.
They spend considerable time meeting various stakeholders, including the people living along both the sides of Uyyakondan river that passes through the city. They have collected video and photo evidences of waste being dumped into the river by households, private hospitals, hotels, restaurants and others.
They have collected primary and secondary data on the Uyyakondan canal.
As part of their project, the students have collected sample of soil and water at various points of the canal and sent them to a laboratory of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to test their quality.
They have noted down the ongoing project of the State government to revive the river from pollution.
“We are really pained over the irresponsible acts of dumping waste into the river. It is highly polluted. There is heavy flow of wastewater into the river in Palakkarai area,” says Shenroy.
Asked about what prompted them to carry out the study, Rayan Joseph said he had seen people of Iruthayapuram in Palakkarai, where he was residing, indiscriminately dump waste into the river.
It was aimed at contributing some thing to the cause of preserving the river from pollution.
Although the students are yet to come out with solutions, they are of the view that absence of underground drainage system along the river sides was the main reason for pollution.
The students have planned to submit the report with the State Government soon.
They meet residents living on the banks of the stream
