Ban tourists visiting Dubare to save river Cauvery: Forum

Members of Cauvery Nadhi Swacchata Andolana Samiti, who have been seeking stringent action from the district administration to save river Cauvery from further pollution, have now demanded Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza to ban tourists from visiting Dubare Elephant Camp.

The activists have reasoned that the increasing number of tourist numbers is also one of the reasons for pollution of the water body at its source of origin in the district. Hence, a new elephant camp should be started near Chiklihole reservoir and Dubare Elephant Camp should be linked by a hanging bridge, they said.

‘Remove buildings’
The buildings on riverbeds coming under Kushalnagar Town Panchayat jurisdiction should be removed and measures should be taken to develop the same land as a lung space by planting saplings. Dry pits should be constructed to check the flow of waste and sewage into river Cauvery, till underground drainage works are completed, they demanded.

Stating that Cauvery river continues to be polluted at its place of birth, the activists said waste and sewage water from nearby towns and villages are reaching the water body and hence, it is in a pathetic state. The mushrooming of vendors at tourist spots producing waste is yet another reason for the waterbody

The waste generated from Tala Cauvery, Bhagamandala, Bengur, Kundachery, Napoklu, Ballamavaty, Parane, Hoddur and Moornadu villages are directly joining the river. Further damage to the river can be stopped with the setting up of drinking water units, construction of community toilets with better maintenance, especially in Bhagamandala limits, arranging vehicles to collect and dispose of waste and also construct underground drainages as a permanent solution to the menace.

The activists have identified Kakotu Prambu and Bhetri in Nelli Hudikeri village as the epicentre of pollution, where the sewage is getting mixed with river exactly. It can be addressed by evicting over 70 dwellings on riverbed. Similarly, over 80 houses are situated on the riverbed at Halugunda and 30 at Kannangala village, followed by over 200 houses at Siddapura.

‘Awareness needed’
Apart from creating measures, awareness should be created among the people, including vendors. Community toilets should be built at markets and measures should be taken for disposal of chicken waste, they demanded.

The waste generated at places of tourist interest at Nelli Hudikeri, Valnur, Thagathur, Nanjarayapattana, Dubare, Gudde Hosur, Mullusoge, Thorenur and Shirangala in Somwarpet taluk and Dubare in Nanjarayapattana and Kaveri Nisargadhama near Guddehosur coming under Kushalnagar Town Panchayat limits is yet another reason.

A delegation of activists, including Chandramohan, Reena Prakash, Chyanda Satya, D R Somashekar and K R Shivanandan, submitted a memorandum to the DC in this regard.
DH News Service