Trash irks regulars at Shore Temple

Residents and regular visitors to Mamallapuram were shocked to find a sea of plastic strewn around the Shore Temple. The UNESCO site, which saw thousands of visitors on Kaanum Pongal, was littered and the cleaning crew faced much difficulty in clearing the garbage. 

Regular visitors to Mamallapuram pointed out that it is a common problem, especially during weekends. The Shore Temple was one among the 25 monuments chosen by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for upgradation of tourist-related amenities, under the Adarsh Smarak Scheme. The monuments under the scheme will have upgraded washrooms, drinking water facilities, cafeteria and even a wi-fi facility. However, regulars say the ground reality is very different. 

No regard for cleanliness: 

V. Parisutham, Project Director, Hand In Hand India, which ensures effective solid waste management across Mamallapuram, said visitors to the Shore Temple have scant regard for cleanliness. 

“There are close to 3.2 million people who visit Mamallapuram annually and these numbers tend to increase during festivals. 

However, I have seen many “educated” individuals visiting the temple and later, discarding plastic covers on the lawn. Cleaning up, especially after New Year or festivals, becomes difficult. There are enough dustbins around, with pictorial representations and instructions in Tamil, Hindi and English, for different kinds of waste. But people don’t bother putting the trash into these bins. We need to continuously educate these “educated” people,” says this waste management expert, whose team works closely with the town panchayat and the ASI. 

Expat entrepreneur Aine Edwards, who is a regular visitor, said, “I was out for a morning walk and when I saw this sight, it upset me. People, who visited the temples and enjoyed at the beach, also threw so much plastic around. I saw the cleaning staff really struggle to clear the area. This is a common sight, especially during the weekends. I’ve seen this happen even at Besant Nagar, during the Church festivals, where there are a large number of people and the place, especially the beach, is left littered.”  

Mumu (a.k.a Mukesh), a surfer who conducts regular beach cleanups at Mamallapuram, said he was ridiculed many times for trying to keep the beach clean. “I have been trying to get the children to help us keep the beaches clean. But people make fun of us. I think people must understand that this is our heritage. There is definitely a need for more clean-ups and awareness,” he said. 

An ASI official said that visitors are restricted from littering within the premises of the Shore Temple. “We have guards at the gate, who ensure that visitors don’t carry food and other plastic items. If we do find any litter, we ensure it is cleared immediately,” said the source.