The Sanganoor canal that once ran gloriously through Coimbatore, has stood witness to time, development and sadly, its own degradation. One such place where its plight has been reduced to what is often mistaken for an ordinary stream of sewage, is in Ward 46’s Rathinapuri, situated in the North Zone.
“The stench that comes from the canal is unbearable, especially when it gets windy,” said V. Chellamal, as she shooed away people who brought with them garbage bags to dispose of into the canal. “I try my best to stop them from throwing waste into the stream but fences need to be installed to solve the issue,” the four-decade-long resident of Sampath Nagar said.
When confronted, a few residents who dispose of waste into the canal nonchalantly said, “Everyone does it so we do it too. It is easier.” Some even come from different parts of the ward to fling waste into the canal. “We are trying our best to keep the area clean. But people don’t listen,” a conservancy worker in the region said.
