The Hindu              21.01.2014

Vaigai clean-up drive begins

Armed with gloves, masks and bins, Corporation officials
and sanitary workers and students of Meenakshi Government College for
Women started a two-day clean-up drive of the Vaigai on Monday Morning.

The
exercise, initiated under the ‘Alagiya Madurai Maanagar Thittam’ (AMMA
Scheme), began in the presence of Corporation Commissioner Kiran Gurrala
and Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa. The Mayor said that through this
cleanliness drive, they hoped to involve the public and spread awareness
of the need to keep the river free of pollution.

“We
will also address the issue of sewage being discharged into the river.
We plan to have two garbage lorries stationed on the river banks to
collect garbage through the day,” he said.

The Vaigai
river bed, which is dry in most parts, is often used as a garbage dump
by people in the surrounding areas as well as passers-by. People just
fling garbage bags into the river. Encroachments along the banks also
pose a problem.

The clean-up drive will cover a
six-km stretch between Vilangudi and Teppakulam (PTR bridge). Nearly 150
National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from Meenakshi college took
part in the drive on Monday and more students and organisations are
expected to join the clean-up drive on Tuesday.

The
bulk of the work will, however, be carried out by 200 Corporation
conservancy workers. They will make use of 12 tractors, 2 tipper lorries
and four small machines.