Cleansing
the Vembanad lake, their source of livelihood, of its impurities forms part of
the religious ritual of a group of fishermen.
For
the past three Mandalam seasons of the Sabarimala temple festival, the clam
fishermen of Vembanad lake had been collecting plastic refuse from the bottom
of the water body with religious zeal. At the end of the 40-day-long campaign,
this season, they collected 75 gunny bags full of plastic and non-degradable
materials from the lake. A local body from Alappuzha district has offered to
use the plastic for surfacing roads.
Asoka
Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Lake Protection Forums and
Vembanad Nature Club have joined hands for carrying out the cleanliness drive.
Usually, the plastic and other refuse that get entangled in clam nets are
brought to land, said T.D. Jojo, the coordinator of the project. This year, the
fishermen collected refuse from the lake in areas close to Arayad, Muhamma, and
Thanneermukkam regions.
Most
of the fishermen engaged in clam fishery have combined their religious beliefs
with the drive. This year, 130 fishermen volunteered for removing the refuse
from the lake, he said. The gunny bags filled with plastic refuse were laid
along the track of the road. Later, red earth was spread over it and allowed to
settle. The road would be laid on the stretch after some time.
The
method was found effective in water-logged areas. The first road developed
using plastic bags still remain intact, he said.
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