Around 600 tonnes of waste have been removed from the Shanmuga River in Palani, Dindigul district, during a cleanup drive led by the V D Leaders organisation, according to a report by Dinamalar. The drive focused on a river that, according to organisation president Annamalai, has been receiving sewage and waste from surrounding areas, including waste generated near the temple.
Annamalai and other members of the organisation took part in the cleaning operation. The work was discussed at a function held after the cleanup was completed, where Annamalai linked the condition of the river to the responsibilities of local bodies and public institutions.
He said the organisation’s volunteers should encourage capable and service-minded people in their respective areas to contest local elections if they are held in Tamil Nadu. He described local administration as the starting point for addressing civic problems and said public funds should be used properly through corruption-free local governance.
The comments placed the Shanmuga River’s waste problem within a broader concern over the condition of waterways in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai said rivers across the state were increasingly becoming drains and alleged that waste from the temple was also entering the Shanmuga River. The report did not provide details on the type of waste removed, the exact duration of the cleanup or the disposal arrangements after collection.
He also called on the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to take steps to prevent temple waste from entering the river. The department administers Hindu temples and related institutions in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai criticised what he described as insufficient attention to temple management and facilities for devotees, while saying that protecting the river should be part of the department’s responsibility.
The cleanup highlights the practical limits of one-time civic drives when waste enters a waterway from multiple sources. River maintenance typically involves coordination between local bodies, sanitation systems, institutions located along the river and departments responsible for nearby public facilities. In the account supplied by Dinamalar, no official response from the municipal administration or the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department was provided.
The report also did not state whether the waste removal would be followed by regular monitoring, measures to stop further dumping or an assessment of pollution in the river. Annamalai’s call for action was addressed to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, while the organisation also urged greater public participation in local administration. Further steps by the concerned authorities on preventing temple and urban waste from entering the Shanmuga River remain to be announced.
