The Hindu Business Line : Pampa Action Plan still hanging fire

The next Sabarimala season is about four months away, but implementation of the top priority projects under the Pampa Action Plan, aimed at arresting pollution of the Pampa river, remains a non-starter even five years after its approval by the Centre.

The Directorate of National River Conservation (DNRC) under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) 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 Pampa river in the National River Conservation Plan in June 2001.

Subsequently, for the implementation of the first component of the project involving a total investment of Rs 18.45 crore, DNRC sanctioned its 70 per cent share of the cost – Rs 12.91 crore in June 2003.

The Centre also made available Rs 1.75 crore as advance to the State, of which Rs 1.46 crore was spent for constructing two check-dams and two bathing ghats.

But, even after five years, it has not set up the essential infrastructure required to stop pollution of the river, such as sewage treatment plants at Sabarimala and Pampa, toilets and bathrooms for the pilgrims, and an incinerator at Sabarimala, besides putting in place a better drainage system.

The authorities had announced at a meeting in June last year that work on these projects would be taken up by February this year so as to be completed before the commencement of the next season in mid-November. But, nothing has happened so far.

Meanwhile, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, told Business Line said that the importance of this project is yet to be understood by the authorities here.

The project is vital for controlling and reducing pollution in the river 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 the river be improved/upgraded in its entire stretch not only for use of water for 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.