The temple town of Tiruvannamalai finally has its own first free modern laundry for dhobis to prevent pollution of waterbodies, especially local ponds, that have been used by them for over a century.
Officials of Tiruvannamalai municipality, which has constructed the new facility, said that the free laundry would provide a stable work and income for dhobis and their families in the town. It would also help conserve ponds and groundwater in the town. “The initiative was aimed not to affect the livelihood of dhobis in the town and also to prevent waterbodies from getting polluted. The new laundry will be maintained by the dhobis association,” N. Dakshnamurthy, Commissioner, Tiruvannamalai municipality, told The Hindu.
Accompanied by Collector B. Murugesh, Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu inaugurated the new laundry. Spread over 5,000 sq.ft. near Thamarai Kulam, the laundry, built at a cost of ₹23 lakh, comprises a large drier machine, diesel generator, an ironing room and a few cubicles.
Each cubicle contains two slabs to wash clothes and two mini tanks to store water. These tanks are filled with water collected from the main tank. A 900-ft-deep borewell inside the facility remains the water source for dhobis. “Availability of clean water remained a big challenge for us. During monsoon, we were jobless as it was difficult for us to wash and dry clothes,” said K. Ramu, a dhobi.
At present, traditional dhobi khanas operate near the two local ponds such as Chetti Kulam and Thamarai Kulam on the northern and southern end of the town. Over the years, the ponds were polluted due to illegal discharge of sullage from residential areas in the town. As a result, many dhobis depend on public water taps in the town to wash the clothes and dry them near these two ponds. Such usage of public taps by dhobis has affected the regular water supply to consumers in the town by the municipality.
Traditionally, over 150 families find their means of livelihood in two dhobi khanas near these ponds, washing, drying and ironing clothes — mostly bedsheets, towels, dhotis, and curtains from hotels, hospitals, residents and pilgrims. In the initial phase of the initiative, 68 dhobi families will benefit from the new laundry. Subsequently, a similar facility will be set up near ChettiKulam for dhobis in the northern part of the town.
