Coimbatore: The proverbial Perur Periyakulam may soon turn into a den of drug addicts and drunkards, warn volunteers and activists.Volunteers of Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu have been carrying out the restoration work on the lake every Sunday with the support of students, youths, and other volunteer groups. During their 428th week of such fieldwork, this Sunday (Feb 8), volunteers found items such as a weighing scale and a water can, fitted with a pipe, in a densely wooded area of the lake, indicating drug use. Strangers had used drugs and abandoned empty bottles. Drunkards were also found consuming liquor on the bunds of the lake. Based on the information, personnel from the Perur police station visited the spot and seized the weighing scale, pharma receipts, and bottles. Volunteers alleged that despite fencing, miscreants break barricades at night and illegally enter the lake premises to consume drugs and alcohol. They also pointed out that liquor bottles and plastic waste are being dumped along the bund, causing further damage to the lake. R Manikandan, coordinator of the Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu, said police should work in coordination with the panchayat to prevent further degradation of the lake. He also noted that the presence of a Tasmac liquor outlet near Perur Periyakulam has led to illegal nighttime entry into the lake for alcohol consumption. Referring to the recent opening of another liquor outlet near Sengulam, he expressed concern over the increasing number of liquor shops near water bodies. This, he said, not only affects the lake’s ecosystem but also poses a serious threat to the social environment. He urged the government to remove liquor outlets located near water bodies. When contacted, Perur police officials said steps would be taken to intensify surveillance to prevent trespassing and consumption of alcohol on the lake premises. They added that investigations are under way to ascertain whether the seized materials are linked to drug use, and that inquiries have been initiated based on suspicion against certain individuals in the local area. Perur Periyakulam, spread over 265 acres, serves as a major water source for several lakes within the Coimbatore corporation limits. The lake, which comes under the control of the public works department, had earlier suffered severe ecological degradation. In 2017, a volunteer group, Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu, initiated restoration works at the lake. The group cleaned the inlet channels of the lake, desilted the lake, and removed invasive shrubs as part of conservation efforts. Around 8,000 saplings were planted along the bund, and fencing was erected around the lake to protect and improve its ecosystem. Volunteers have also been regularly involved in planting palm seeds along the bunds of the lake, clearing plastic waste from the bund, and sensitizing school and college students.
