The Hindu Business Line : TDB invites tender for Pampa river project

After a long wait, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has called for tenders for implementing the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan (PAP) project under the National River Conservation Programme (NECP) involving the board at Sabarimala and Pampa.

The tenders for different works with an estimated total cost of Rs 16.16 crore are under process and will be awarded soon, Mr G. Raman Nair, President, TDB, told Business Line. However, the project is unlikely to be completed before the commencement of the next pilgrim season by mid-November, as the time left is short, he said.

The projects for which tenders have been called include 3MCD sewage plant at Sabarimala at Rs 2.40 crore and such a plant with a capacity of 1.5 MCD at Pampa costing Rs 1.20 crore; sewage collection tank at Sabarimala and Pampa at Rs 1.94 crore; 300 latrines at Pampa, 400 latrines and 100 bathrooms at Sabarimala at Rs 2.3 crore, solid waste treatment plant at Rs 2.5 crore; setting up of drainages at Rs 1.3 crore and creating mobile latrines at a cost of Rs 1.4 crore. The total cost of the projects would come to Rs 16.16 crore, including provision for cost escalation and so on, Mr Nair said.

For the first phase, the Centre had already sanctioned Rs 18.45 crore, which include works to be implemented by other government departments, he said.

The project, essentially needed for restricting the pollution of the Pampa river during the pilgrimage season, has been moving at a snail's pace because of the alleged non-cooperative attitude of concerned government departments, he said.

Non-implementation of the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan (PAP) project, which was sanctioned by the Centre under the National River Conservation Programme (NRCP) over two years ago, has deprived the State of subsequent allocations besides delaying the cleaning of the river for the benefit of lakhs of people living in the Pampa river basin, he said.

The Centre had accepted the Rs 319.70-crore project, submitted by the State Government 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.

The project is inevitable for controlling and reducing pollution in the river Pampa during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season. According to the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), given the high presence of coliform bateria in the river water during the pilgrimage season, "it is imperative that water quality of Pampa river 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 water logged areas of Kuttanad and Vembanadu Lake", he 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, he added.

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