Rampant garbage dumping, encroachment shrunk Keerehole

Maintaining cleanliness and sanitation has become a challenging task in Gonikoppa.

Keerehole, a water body that flows in Gonikoppa, is highly polluted with sewage and wastewater from hundreds of hotels, multi-storey buildings and houses situated on either side of the water body.

Even garbage from households also enters the water body.

Keerehole has been converted into a dumping yard. As a result, the entire locality where the water body passes through reeks of a nauseating smell.

Even the civic workers of the Gram Panchayat dump the waste on the banks of the water body. With the sliding of garbage into the water body, the rivulet has changed its course in a few places.

The increase in the garbage in the rivulet is also posing a threat of flood during the monsoon. Gonikoppa had experienced a flood following the increase in water level
in the rivulet in the last two years.

The Gram Panchayat had removed the silt and garbage from the rivulet as preparations for the monsoon. However, people are dumping the waste continuously, said residents.

Keerehole has its origin in Ammathi and the rivulet is clean at its source. It passes through 10-km, weaving inside coffee estates, from its origin before it reaches Gonikoppa. The water in the rivulet changes its colour after it reaches Gonikoppa.

Paddy was cultivated on either side of the rivulet 10 years ago. As the population increased, the paddy fields have been converted into sites and several layouts like Bapuji Layout, Patel Nagara and Appachu layout have cropped up in the vicinity.

Keerehole joins River Lakshmanatheertha at Besagooru. People from Hunsur and Kattemalalavadi depend on water from the river for daily use.

Without having any awareness about cleanliness, people dump waste into the rivulet. The panchayat should wake up and create awareness. Further, the rivulet has been encroached upon, said P K Praveen, a resident of the second block, in Gonikoppa.

B N Prakash, a GP member, said, “People continue to dump garbage in spite of urging them not to do so. Many do not even hand over garbage to the garbage collection vehicle. The Gram Panchayat is mulling over initiating strict action against such people.”

Manjula, another GP member, said, “The PDO should take steps to clean Keerehole. If all the members focus on disposing of the garbage in their ward effectively, then garbage entering Keerehole can be checked to a great extent.”

Social worker Narayanaswamy Naidu said, “Influential people have encroached upon the banks of Keerehole from Athoor to Seegethod. It is the responsibility of the Gram Panchayat to protect public property. The encroachment has affected the easy flow of water during the monsoon. As a result, all of Gonikoppa faces the problem of floods. The Gram Panchayat should initiate legal action against encroachers.”