The Hindu Business Line : Non-implementation of action plan to increase pollution level in Pampa

LACK of adequate facilities for disposal of waste and sewage treatment at Sabarimala and Pampa would result in the increased pollution of the river Pampa during the current pilgrim season, which began on November 17.

And yet, augmentation of the sewage treatment plant at Pampa, included in the Pampa Action Plan (PAP), has not been implemented. Similarly other such projects, including toilets for the pilgrims at Sabarimala and Pampa have not taken up, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshna Samithi, told Business Line on Sunday.

If the current trend is any indication the number of pilgrims this year would be much more than last year. Hence, the facilities available at Sabarimala and Pampa, except at Nilakkal, would remain quite inadequate, he pointed out. As the waste disposal is done manually, hardly 20-30 per cent of total waste could be disposed off, he said. In the absence of these facilities the entire waste will flow into the river.

According to him, the present predicament is the net result of the non-implementation of the first phase of PAP, which was sanctioned by the Centre under the NRCP about two years ago. This lacklustre approach has not only deprived the State of subsequent allocations but also lakhs of people living in the river basin of safe water.

The Centre had accepted the Rs 319.70-crore PAP project, submitted by the State on December 19, 2002 to be completed in three phases, following the inclusion of the River Pampa in the NRCP in June 2001.

Subsequently for the implementation of the first component of the project involving a total investment of Rs 18.45 crore, the NRC Directorate had sanctioned its 70 per cent share of the cost Rs 12.91 crore in June 2003. Besides, a sum of Rs 75 lakh was also given as advance.

"But, the State Government had not so far done anything towards implementing the PAP," he alleged.

The project is inevitable for controlling and reducing pollution in the river Pampa during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season. Given the high presence of coliform bacteria in the river water during the season, "it is imperative that water quality of Pampa be improved/upgraded in its entire stretch not only for the beneficial use of water for the use of pilgrims and in the townships situated within the basis but also for improving water quality in the downstream stretches, especially in the waterlogged areas of Kuttanad and Vembanadu Lake," the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) sources said.

In fact, the water quality monitoring done by the KSPCB as per the directions of the Kerala High Court has brought to light the urgent need for an Action Plan for cleaning up of the river, they said.

According to Mr Nair, river cleaning up projects under the NRCP are under implementation in 17 States involving 27 rivers with the objective of completing the work by 2007 so as to bring down pollution of these river waters to acceptable levels and for human use.