Sir,

This has reference to the news item ‘Kapila river bed cleared of plastic, waste’ (Star of Mysore dated June 20). We the greens are very happy that the Tahsildar Mohana Kumari has evinced interest and launched Kapila river bed bathing ghat cleansing green initiative jointly by Nanjangud City Municipal Council and Taluk Administration.

It will not be out of place if it is brought to the notice of the concerned that many of us greens have made similar efforts for cleansing Kapila [refer to our effort made on Mar. 23, 2012 – see file photo]. On that day, members belonging to Hunsur’s Save Our Earth Club with 50 volunteers from Hunsur, joined by about 55 volunteers from Mysuru, landed at the bathing ghat, got down to the river and started removing the pollutants lying underneath. Pollutants included mirrors, clothes, talismans that were rotting and stinking at the bottom of the holy river.

A total of more than 12 tractor loads of extraneous matter were removed and transported outside city limits. Watching efforts by rank outsiders, the residents of Nanjangud led by Taluk Panchayat President with some members, Municipal employees, members of Rotary and a large number of citizens members of NGOs joined us, got down to Kapila and helped us remove as much of waste as possible.

A heartening help came from President and members of Coracles Association, who voluntarily offered their coracles and services in carrying the muck from the river and helped in loading on to tractors offered by philanthropic owners of tractors.

Even after 9 years, the sad state of affairs continues unabated and the Tahsildar’s initiative is a living example. It is unfortunate that unless pilgrims and bhaktas, who transit through Nanjangud, change their attitude and behaviour and stop polluting our rivers and water bodies, any number of cleansing the bathing ghat would be futile. So, ‘Kapila, tu hamesha mailee’ continues. But volunteerism must go on.

Gods may be getting record collection of offerings by bhaktas, but the money being spent in taking care of the sanctum sanctorum and precincts of the temple and also its contribution to the city development does not appear to be commensurate with the earnings.

Suggestion: The Tahsildar must constitute a Special Purpose Committee with funds from the temple and Government for planning and undertaking permanent solutions for such polluting problems and for enforcement of laws/ rules against pollution of river and water bodies in Nanjangud with co-opted members from temple authorities and NGOs of the town.

The Committee must suggest plan of action for providing facilities and amenities to the visitors for helping them to stop polluting the river. It must also be empowered to periodically inspect upstream and downstream industrial discharge of pollutants into Kapila river, including hazardous/ toxic waste.

The Tahsildar must monitor, report such findings to State Pollution Control Board for such action as may be deemed fit under the extant laws of the land.

– Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, Environmental Advisor, Save Our Earth Club, Hunsurm 22.6.2021

You can also mail us your views, opinions, and stories to [email protected]