BJP Candidate Inspects Sewage Discharge at Sacred Vaigai River Site in Madurai
BJP candidate for Madurai South, Raama Sreenivasan, conducted a visit to the Alwarpuram area along the Vaigai river on Saturday. This location holds immense spiritual significance as it is the spot where Lord Kallazhgar descends into the river during the annual Chithirai festival. During his inspection, Sreenivasan focused on points where sewage is being discharged directly into the waterway, launching a sharp critique against the ruling DMK government for permitting such pollution at a revered site.
"Stench Makes It Difficult to Stand Here": Candidate Decries Pollution
"The stench caused by the waste that flows in makes it difficult to even stand near the water," Sreenivasan stated emphatically. He highlighted that sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the city are in desperate need of serious maintenance and upgrades. Every year, lakhs of devotees gather at this very spot to witness Lord Kallazhgar enter the river, making the cleanliness of the area a critical public and religious concern. "At least the areas where large crowds assemble should have been properly cleaned, but that essential work has regrettably not been done," he added, expressing his disappointment.
Promise of a Clean, Litter-Free Zone and Central Government Intervention
Raama Sreenivasan made a firm commitment to address the issue of sewage discharge into the Vaigai river. "I have taken this matter up as a very urgent priority. The specific location where Lord Kallazhgar enters the river will be officially designated as a clean, litter-free zone, particularly due to its profound spiritual importance," he promised. Furthermore, the BJP candidate assured that he would engage with the central government's Jal Shakti department to advocate for swift, decisive action to comprehensively clean the Vaigai river, leveraging central resources and expertise.
Activists and Officials Weigh In on Sewage Treatment Capacity
M. Rajan, founder of the Vaigai Nathi Makkal Iyakkam, echoed the urgency for immediate action to clean the Vaigai but pointed to systemic shortcomings. "The existing sewage treatment plants simply do not possess the required capacity to handle the volume of waste," Rajan explained. He provided a stark example: Every single day, approximately 10 million litres per day (MLD) of water from the Panthalgudi channel flows into the Vaigai, while the current treatment infrastructure is only capable of processing a mere 2 MLD, leaving a massive deficit.
In response, a Public Works Department (PWD) official stated that efforts are underway to clear the sewage from the Vaigai in the coming days, aiming to complete the work before the commencement of the Chithirai festival. Separately, an official from the Madurai Corporation confirmed that tenders have already been filed for the essential maintenance and capacity enhancement of several STPs. This planned upgrade is intended to ensure that sewage water entering the Vaigai river is treated adequately and effectively in the future.
