In a glaring violation of the directions given by the Madras High Court last year on the steps to be taken by Courtallam town panchayat for ensuring a visitor-friendly environment in the tourist destination, the urban civic body still allows human waste to flow uncontrollably from the pay-and-use toilet near the Main Falls into the Main Falls stream.
While giving a list of instructions to be strictly followed by the Courtallam Town Panchayat, the Madras High Court had said the tourists should not use oil, soaps, detergents, shampoo and shikakai powder while taking bath in the waterfalls as it would pollute the water.
More importantly, no waste should be allowed to mix with the stream from the waterfalls and directed the urban civic body to shift the pay-and-use toilets near the waterfalls to some other location.
While the town panchayat’s stern warning stopped the sale and use of oil, soaps, detergents, shampoo and shikakai powder, discharge of waste into the stream still continues. The sanitary complex near the Main Falls is still allowed to function and the waste from the toilets is let out into the Main Falls stream.
Emboldened by the town panchayat’s attitude, most of the lodges situated close to this stream are also discharging the waste from their premises into the stream polluting it severely.
“Since the water flowing in the stream is being used for irrigation at several places, the High Court had directed the town panchayat last year to ensure the purity of water till it reaches the ranches. However, the nauseating practice continues and the situation refuses to improve,” said a senior revenue official from Tenkasi.
Though the Executive Officer of Courtallam Town Panchayat, Elangovan, claimed that the waste from the pay-and-use toilet near Main Falls was being removed in lorries once a week, waste can be seen flowing into the stream through the huge pipe from the sanitary complex.
