Single-use plastic waste pollutes Ariyankuppam River and Thengaithittu backwaters
Single-use plastic waste flowing through city drains is severely polluting the Ariyankuppam River and Thengaithittu backwaters in Puducherry, threatening mangrove ecosystems and local livelihoods. Experts and activists are calling for urgent government intervention, including better waste management infrastructure and stricter enforcement against plastic pollution.
Why it matters
The degradation of these backwaters impacts both the local artisanal fishing economy and the growing eco-tourism sector, highlighting the broader environmental crisis of urban plastic waste management in coastal regions.
Large quantities of single-use plastic waste flowing through the Uppar drain and two major storm-water drains in the city are polluting the Ariyankuppam River and the Thengaithittu backwaters, choking mangroves and threatening the fragile ecosystem.
Disposable plastic bags, bottles, food wrappers, tetra packets, disposable cups, sachets and thermocol materials move through the drain with wastewater and stormwater runoff, particularly during rain, before accumulating in the slow-moving backwater channels located south of Pondy Marina. The debris gets trapped in mangroves, affecting the wetland habitat and leaving huge mounds of visible waste along boating routes.
Boating through the mangroves and backwaters has become a major draw for tourists to Puducherry, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 tourists visiting on a weekend for boating and other eco-tourism activities.
A large quantity of single-use plastic waste flowing through the Uppar drain, choking the Thengaithittu backwaters in Puducherry. | Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar
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