TIRUCHY: A week after a 25-year-old man drowned, Thuraiyur residents have demanded authorities to erect a fence or place barricades around Thepa Kulam, a temple pond in the town, to prevent such mishaps in future.
Hundreds of people, including schoolchildren, have been visiting the Thepa Kulam, which belongs to the Lord Shiva temple, in the past few weeks as it has received water after 12 years.
However, with the pond now filled to the brim and without any protection, residents have demanded officials to immediately place barricades and stop the entry of the public.
“In the excitement of seeing water after almost 12 years, people, including those from other districts, are
visiting the pond to bathe. However, this can be dangerous and authorities need to immediately look into the problem before there is any major accident,” said Thuraiyur resident Govindharajan.
The pond has not been maintained due to a tussle between the temple authorities and municipality. "Temple authorities claim the municipality is responsible for maintenance, while the municipality claims the pond is attached to the temple and there are no funds for the municipality to preserve it. In this blame
game, the pond has turned into a deathtrap,” said, Kamaraj, a resident.
A week ago, Shanmugam (25), a resident of Dharmapuri, drowned in the pond when he along with his friends were bathing. “Many children from nearby schools without the knowledge of the parents come to bathe in the pond. Sometimes, we try to chase them off, but this is not a solution to the problem. Entry should be closed to the public until protective measures are taken,” said Kamaraj.
A municipality official said, “There is a severe funds crunch. We are in talks with NGOs to create a permanent structure. We have placed spikes near the entrance of the pond for time being and very soon, a permanent system would be built.”