Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia

Sullia, Nov 18: With growing environmental awareness in the coastal region, efforts to identify and penalise visitors who dump waste irresponsibly have intensified. A similar incident took place on Monday, when the Subrahmanya gram panchayat fined a tourist for throwing waste into the Kumaradhara river.

According to reports, a group of tourists returning from Kukke Subrahmanya stopped their car on the Kumaradhara bridge near Subrahmanya and attempted to throw a bundle of plastic, cloth, and other waste into the river. Local residents who witnessed this warned them not to pollute the area. However, the individual in question allegedly ignored them, behaved rudely, and proceeded to dump the waste before driving away. Locals recorded the incident on video and forwarded it to the gram panchayat.

With the help of the police, the gram panchayat traced the individual — identified as Shashikiran from Bengaluru — and imposed a fine of Rs 1,500.

To curb such incidents, CCTV cameras have already been installed on the bridge. Authorities said several offenders have been identified and fined based on CCTV footage. A bottle booth has also been set up near the bridge to encourage proper disposal of waste.

Authorities have appealed to devotees visiting Kukke Subrahmanya to cooperate in maintaining the cleanliness and sanctity of the temple surroundings.