The Hindu Business Line : ‘Rivers being destroyed in the name of conservation’

Kochi, Jan. 28 Construction activities being implemented by the authorities in the name of river protection/conservation using the funds earmarked for this purpose are allegedly affecting the river structure negatively.

Citing the latest example of constructing a protection wall inside the river Pampa at the Mundaplakkal ghat in Perinad Panchayat in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, a Voluntary Environmental Organisation, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, said that vehicles were not permitted to be plied into the riverbed under rule 12 (6) and 15(2) of River Conservation Laws.

Approach roads are laid through the river “Purampoke” land into the river beds to carry construction materials including granite boulders for constructing protection walls inside the river, it said.

Indiscriminate and unscientific sand mining has already changed the natural course and structure of rivers, pushing down the sand bed level besides narrowing down the river-width, said Mr N.K.S. Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, which has been campaigning for the protection of Pampa. This river has already been included in the National River Conservation Programme by the Centre about six years ago.

Encroachments

Non-demarcation of the river boundaries by the revenue department has paved the way for the general public to encroach upon the river embankments and even the sand beds for personal gains. The disappearance of Varattar and some other rivers is a clear manifestation of encroachments in the absence of demarcation by the revenue authorities, he alleged.

“Using the funds earmarked for the protection/conservation of the rivers for perpetual destruction of them is an objectionable act and hence the authorities should take necessary steps to remove all such constructions inside the rivers,” he said.

According to rule 15(4), for protecting the river banks certain vegetations such as bamboo and other trees which protect soil erosion, besides strengthening the embankments, should be planted instead of constructing retention/protection walls inside the rivers, he claimed.

According to Mr Nair, as per Rule 20 of the river conservation laws, all constructions inside the rivers are punishable. Add to this, paragraphs 14 and 15 of a government order, which was accepted by a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court headed by the Chief Justice on October 11, 2001, has stipulated that all the unauthorised encroachments should be avoided and the District Collectors were directed to appoint survey officials to demarcate the boundaries of the rivers.

But instead of using the funds meant for protecting the rivers it is allegedly being used for their destruction and hence the Pampa Parirakshana Samithi demanded that an inquiry be ordered into the utilisation of this fund, he said.

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