Tirunelveli Collector Anand Mohan chairing a meeting at Vickramasingapuram on Tuesday to review the steps taken to conserve Tamirabharani following the directions from Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
District Collector Anand Mohan chaired a meeting at Vickramasingapuram municipality on Tuesday to review the steps taken by the urban civic body, where the Tamirabharani touches down the plains after descending from the Western Ghats, to check the flow of sewage into the river and the discarding of old clothes by the devotees after bathing in the river.After participating in the inauguration of the drinking water scheme meant for the Vickramasingapuram municipality on Tuesday, the Collector convened the meeting.Addressing the meeting, Mr. Anand Mohan made it clear that all directions of the Court pertaining to conservation of Tamirabharani should be implemented. After identifying the encroachments made along the watercourse, sustained drives should be initiated by the local bodies concerned to remove the permanent and temporary illegal structures.Discharge of liquid waste, dumping of solid waste and discarding of old clothes in the river as part of the religious practices should be stopped forthwith. Besides erecting banners warning the public against these unlawful practices, the local bodies should keep bins for dumping clothes, garlands etc. If the Court’s directions are violated, the local bodies, which should install CCTV cameras to monitor the violations, should file complaint with the police for registering first information report against the violators.Mr. Anand Mohan set the deadline of three months to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department for completing the works on the construction of the bathrooms, toilets, dressing rooms, place for collecting used clothes instead of dumping it in the river etc.The Collector directed the local bodies to pass resolutions increasing the fine of ₹ 500 to ₹2,000 on those who dump clothes or other waste in the Tamirabharani.Mr. Anand Mohan also directed the Tirunelveli Corporation authorities to organise fortnight cleaning operations along the Tamirabharani watercourse.The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board should check periodically the quality of Tamirabharani water and submit the reports to the Collector while the Water Resources Organisation should install marker stones on both sides of the river to avoid encroachments.“If any new encroachment comes up, it should be removed within next 24 hours,” the Collector ordered. Published - August 05, 2026 09:38 pm IST
