Coimbatore: Ahead of Aadi Perukku celebrations on August 3, Siruthuli, an NGO is making arrangements at Perur Padithurai (river bank) to ensure devotees perform rituals safely, without polluting the Noyyal river.Aadi Perukku, observed on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, is a festival that expresses gratitude to rivers and water sources and marks the monsoon rise of rivers, symbolising prosperity and harmony with nature. Devotees perform rituals at riverbanks to mark the occasion.Siruthuli trustee J Sathish said the group is planning to provide continuous water supply at the Padithurai and create facilities for collection and disposal of ritual offerings to prevent devotees from throwing offerings into the river. Additional personnel have been deployed and bins placed at the site to ensure waste is collected and sent to landfills. To deter dumping, protective fencing has been installed on both sides of the Perur Road Noyyal bridge.The arrangements are being made with support from the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.Meanwhile, as part of its work along the Noyyal’s banks, Siruthuli is also developing and renovating the Perur Padithurai to improve access for devotees. “Siruthuli has also desilted the Noyyal River from Padithurai up to the Kurichi anicut to improve the river’s carrying capacity and enable free flow during the monsoon, benefiting downstream Ukkadam and Kurichi lakes,” Sathish said. He added that this year, water has flowed beyond the Keezh Chithiraichavadi downstream for the first time, which he said strengthened confidence in the desilting efforts.
