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G.K. Nair

The State Government is yet to submit a detailed project report to the NRCD for obtaining funds.

Kochi , Oct. 26

EVEN after the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) has accorded the requisite sanctions about five months back for implementing the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan (PAP) involving an expenditure of Rs 18.45 crore, no concrete steps have been taken by the State Government to implement the project.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) was planning to inaugurate the project one month before the commencement of the Sabarimala pilgrim season on November 17. But, so far, no formalities have been completed, except the Travancore Devaswom Board's (TBD) informal agreement to bear 30 per cent of the cost of the initial project to be implemented in Sabarimala and Pampa.

However, neither any MoU has been signed with the TDB nor has it been appointed as the implementing agency as required by the NRCD, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Samrakshana Samithi (Pampa Protection Council) told Business Line on Sunday.

He said that river cleansing programmes were under way all over the country, involving a total expenditure of around Rs 4,200 crore, covering 27 rivers in 17 States. But, in Kerala it has been held up because of the impervious attitude of the State Government, he alleged.

Even though PAP was accepted by MoEF in June 2001, the State Government and the local self-governments are yet to submit a detailed and acceptable project report to the NRCD for obtaining funds.

NRCD had already sanctioned projects estimated to cost Rs 18.45 crore and allotted Rs 12.90 crore (70 per cent of the total project cost) as the Centre's contribution to the first phase, which entails pollution-control works at Sabarimala and Pampa.

The implementation of the project on a war-footing is necessary as millions of pilgrims from all over the country visit Sabarimala every year, he said. The large number of hotels and shops during the season discharge huge volume of both liquid and solid wastes to the river directly or indirectly.

All these pollute the river beyond limits affecting the health of not only the pilgrims but also the residents on the banks of the river downstream, he pointed out. During the Sabarimala season, coliform bacteria in the Pampa river water is found to be in the order of up to three lakh per 100 ml, he said.

It is imperative that water quality of Pampa river be improved/upgraded in its entire stretch not only for the beneficial use of water but also for improving water quality in the downstream stretches, especially in the water logged areas of Kuttanad and Vembanadu lake.

In fact, the water quality monitoring done by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, as per the directions of the High Court, had brought to light the urgent need for an action plan for cleaning up the river.

Realising the seriousness of the issue, the MoEF had accepted the PAP in principle and the NRCD had sanctioned the project to control pollution at Sabarimala and Pampa as part of the major project involving a total expenditure of around Rs 320 crore and 70 per cent of which would be borne by the Centre.

According to Mr Nair setting up of a Pampa River Basin Development Authority and a department of environment is inevitable for effectively implementing PAP under the National River Conservation programme.

"In the absence of such an authority and a department to look into the issues related to environment, implementation of the PAP might become a non-starter for want of proper coordination and involvement of various concerned departments, despite the Centre had sanctioned its share of funds," Mr Nair claimed.

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