Notwithstanding the door-to-door waste collection being executed by Tiruchi City Corporation, a section of residents in the city continue to dump waste into the Cauvery.
The garbage is being dumped into the river surreptitiously from the Cauvery bridge where people throng in large numbers in the evenings. The bridge is a veritable picnic spot after the sun goes down. The plastic covers in which the vendors sell eatables eventually find their way into the river.
“Also, the snack vendors do not have a dustbin or any proper facility to dispose of food waste. Apart from these carts, families who organise picnics also bring snacks from their home and dispose of non-biodegradable packaging materials on the river bed,” said M. Magesh, a resident of Srirangam.
Lack of dustbins on the bridge is also a reason for the dumping, environmental activists say.
They emphasise that the civic body must step in to ensure that the garbage is dumped in a proper place alongside creating awareness programmes and putting up signboards to prevent the practice.
N. Ravichandran, Corporation Commissioner said those caught dumping waste in public places would be penalised. “Fines up to ₹500 will be imposed on those caught littering. We are planning a long-term measure to ensure that dumping waste in public areas can be avoided,” he added.
