THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putharikandam Maidanam, one of the historic sites in Thiruvananthapuram city, has now become a wasteland.
The ground, which has been a witness to several historical events in the city, turned into a wasteland after the waste from the Amayizhanchan canal was dumped in it.

Thiruvananthapuram corporation had contracted a private individual to clean the Amayizhanchan canal. However, the contractor dumped all the waste from the river to Putharikandam Maidanam. Meanwhile, the work stopped abruptly due to the COVID crisis. Now, the contractor is not keen to remove the waste from here. Even the corporation has turned a blind eye towards the pathetic state of the ground.

In short, the Amayizhanchan canal is yet to become clean while the Putharikandam Maidanam has become a wasteland. Creepers and bushes have grown in various parts of the ground including the stage and stairway. Vegetables have also germinated from abandoned waste. By ignoring the issue, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is also completely rejecting the financial source which was providing lakhs of rupees in revenue for conducting conferences and other events before COVID.

The history of Putharikandam Maidanam is closely linked with the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. There is a reference to Putharikandam in the Mathilakam documents. Once upon a time, the paddy required for the Niraputhari ritual at the temple was harvested from here. Later, when the practice ceased to exist, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation filled the swampy area with sand for industrial purposes. Until recently, the corporation used to symbolically cultivate paddy on this ground. The city dwellers are also saddened by the pathetic state of Putharikandam, which is intertwined with the history of the city.