Rubbish pile along the way during Thaipusam

Although devotees of Lord Murugan come in droves yearly to join the sacred silver chariot procession from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee to Batu Caves, more often than not, they are met with a 'sight for sore eyes'.

This is because the usually spick and span city turns into a massive garbage bin on the procession day, as people completely ignore cleanliness and throw rubbish indiscriminately.

The habit is so rampant that it would not be an exaggeration to say that sometimes, the number of rubbish outnumber the number of devotees.

Astro Awani's visit around the city's major roads, which the chariot will thread such as Jalan Tun Perak, saw mountainous amount of rubbish piles, even before the procession began.

It seems like the Selayang Municipal Council's (MPS) no plastic or styrofoam containers rule suggested to traders in Batu Caves in conjunction with Thaipusam, should also been adapted by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Plastic and styrofoam food and beverages containers given in 'thaneer panthal' or refreshment stalls along the journey to Batu Caves, form the bulk of the rubbish piles. Some even carelessly chuck them onto parked cars.

Rohini Subramaniam, 31, from Kelana Jaya.said such a sight during Thaipusam, is not entirely new.

"I see these all the time. People throw rubbish everywhere. It’s disgusting especially if you accidentally stepped on someone's half-eaten vadai.

"Maybe we need stricter enforcement by City Hall and issue summons for people, who throw rubbish on the spot," she said.

Meanwhile, Ravindran Chinnasamy, 46, from Petaling Jaya was quick to blame the authorities for the mess.

"I have joined this procession for 12 years and never once I have seen City Hall providing proper rubbish bins along the way to Batu Caves.

"When there is no rubbish bins around, people throw the rubbish onto the road. It is as simple as that.

"City Hall should provide ample bins if they don't want this to happen every year," he said.

It was reported that MPS would initiate a "go green" campaign after taking into account the increase cost of rubbish management annually.

MPS president Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain has said the plastic and styrofoam containers used during the festival could not be recycled and last year. The council spent about RM80,000 for a three-day clean-up.

This year, MPS planned to carry out the clean-up for five days at the cost of RM158,000.