Single-handed effort to clean up a water body

Tuesday, 23 September 2014 05:42 administrator
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The Hindu         23.09.2014 

Single-handed effort to clean up a water body

K.S. Arumugasamy spends five to six hours every day removing hyacinth

K.S. Arumugam is on the job of cleaning up the Kuruchi Tank in Coimbatore.—PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN
K.S. Arumugam is on the job of cleaning up the Kuruchi Tank in Coimbatore.—PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

An environmental activist has embarked on mission of cleaning up a water body all by himself.

K.S. Arumugasamy says that for the past couple of months, he has been spending five to six hours every day removing the hyacinth from the Kuruchi Tank.

The objective of his effort, he says, is not only to clean up the tank, but also to create awareness among people on the need to conserve such tanks. “The Kuruchi Tank was constructed in the 9{+t}{+h}century and has a rich history behind it. However, the tank has shrunk in size in recent years due to many factors,” he said. He is working towards creating awareness against encroachment of water bodies and dumping of plastic, construction debris and other solid waste into tanks. Conservation measures would ensure that the tank was preserved for future generations, he adds. He has already undertaken similar attempts a few years ago.

The objective of his effort, he says, is not only to clean up the tank, but also to create awareness among the people about the need to conserve such tanks