Ahead of Aadi Perukku on August 3, environmental organisation Siruthuli, in coordination with the Water Resources Department and the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, has made elaborate arrangements at the Perur Padithurai, including ensuring continuous water flow, dedicated waste collection and riverbank conservation measures to facilitate eco-friendly celebrations.
Coimbatore: With thousands of devotees expected to gather along riverbanks for Aadi Perukku celebrations on August 3, environmental organisation Siruthuli has appealed to the public to preserve the sanctity of the festival by ensuring that traditional rituals do not end up polluting the very water bodies they are meant to honour.
Aadi Perukku, celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, is a centuries-old festival dedicated to expressing gratitude to rivers and water sources for sustaining life and agriculture. However, the celebrations are often followed by heaps of ritual waste, plastic, food remnants and other offerings left behind on riverbanks or discarded directly into water bodies, leading to pollution and contamination.
In an effort to prevent such scenes this year, Siruthuli, in coordination with the Water Resources Department and the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, has undertaken a series of measures at the Perur Padithurai on the banks of the River Noyyal.
The organisation is renovating the Padithurai to provide devotees with safer access for performing rituals and is making arrangements to ensure a continuous flow of water at the site during the festivities. Dedicated teams will also be deployed to facilitate the collection and scientific disposal of ritual offerings and other waste generated during the celebrations, preventing them from being dumped into the river.
Siruthuli said these measures have been planned with the objective of preserving both the cultural significance of Aadi Perukku and the ecological health of the Noyyal. “A festival that celebrates rivers should leave behind memories of tradition and devotion, not polluted riverbanks and contaminated water,” the organisation emphasised.
As part of its broader river conservation initiatives, protective fencing has been installed along both sides of the Perur Road bridge to discourage indiscriminate dumping of waste into the river. Siruthuli has also completed desilting works along the stretch from the Perur Padithurai to the Kurichi Anaicut, improving the river’s carrying capacity and facilitating uninterrupted water flow. The improved flow is also expected to benefit downstream water bodies, including the Ukkadam and Kurichi lakes.
Extending Aadi Perukku greetings, Siruthuli urged devotees to celebrate the festival responsibly by avoiding plastic, disposing of ritual waste only at designated collection points, and joining hands to protect Coimbatore’s rivers for future generations.
Aadi Perukku, celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, is a centuries-old festival dedicated to expressing gratitude to rivers and water sources for sustaining life and agriculture. However, the celebrations are often followed by heaps of ritual waste, plastic, food remnants and other offerings left behind on riverbanks or discarded directly into water bodies, leading to pollution and contamination.
In an effort to prevent such scenes this year, Siruthuli, in coordination with the Water Resources Department and the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, has undertaken a series of measures at the Perur Padithurai on the banks of the River Noyyal.
The organisation is renovating the Padithurai to provide devotees with safer access for performing rituals and is making arrangements to ensure a continuous flow of water at the site during the festivities. Dedicated teams will also be deployed to facilitate the collection and scientific disposal of ritual offerings and other waste generated during the celebrations, preventing them from being dumped into the river.
Siruthuli said these measures have been planned with the objective of preserving both the cultural significance of Aadi Perukku and the ecological health of the Noyyal. “A festival that celebrates rivers should leave behind memories of tradition and devotion, not polluted riverbanks and contaminated water,” the organisation emphasised.
As part of its broader river conservation initiatives, protective fencing has been installed along both sides of the Perur Road bridge to discourage indiscriminate dumping of waste into the river. Siruthuli has also completed desilting works along the stretch from the Perur Padithurai to the Kurichi Anaicut, improving the river’s carrying capacity and facilitating uninterrupted water flow. The improved flow is also expected to benefit downstream water bodies, including the Ukkadam and Kurichi lakes.
Extending Aadi Perukku greetings, Siruthuli urged devotees to celebrate the festival responsibly by avoiding plastic, disposing of ritual waste only at designated collection points, and joining hands to protect Coimbatore’s rivers for future generations.