The Hindu : Kerala News : Pampa Action Plan a non-starter

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Friday, May 06, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Pampa Action Plan a non-starter

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Pampa River Basin Development Authority yet to take shape

NEED FOR ACTION: The Pampa, a summer scene at Keezhukara, near Kozhencherry.

PATHANMTHITTA: To all indications, the Centrally funded Pampa Action Plan (PAP) for abating pollution in the Pampa river is in the doldrums owing to alleged indifference on the part of the State Government.

The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) had included the Pampa in the National River Conservation Plan and sanctioned Rs.18.45 crores in May 2003 for implementing 11 works at Sabarimala and its surrounding areas in four years, from 2003-04 to 2006-'07, in the first phase. Though the State Cabinet had on December 15, 2004 decided to constitute a Pampa River Basin Development Authority, the implementing agency for the project, it is yet to take shape.

In a recent letter to the Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala, the Union Minister for Forests and Environment, A. Raja, said the State had not utilised the initial amount of Rs.75 lakhs released by the NRCD in May 2003 so far ``due to non-availability of permission for execution of works in the forest land which has earlier been leased out to the Travancore Devaswom Board by the State Government.''

``The second and third phases of the plan have to be modified by the State Government on the basis of the priorities of works to be taken up under the two phases as per the NRCD norms and as per the master plan being drawn up by the State for the region. The pollution abatement works to be executed would be integral part of the master plan,'' Mr. Raja said.However, there are many socio-environmental activists who feel that the mixing up of the PAP with the proposed Sabarimala master plan has ultimately made the former a non-starter even when half of the time stipulated by the NRCD has elapsed. They blame the State Government and the TDB for the inordinate delay in obtaining the mandatory sanction for implementing the 11 schemes in the reserve forests.

Lack of political will on the part of the ruling coalition, coupled with the `casual' approach of the Travancore Devaswom Board, the administrative body of the temple, has marred the PAP prospects, leaving over 50 lakh people residing on the banks of the Pampa and in Kuttanad the ultimate victims.

The State has also failed to get any Central funds for the proposed Vembanad Lake Conservation Project, despite it being included in the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP). This is at a time when the Union Budget has earmarked Rs.68 crores for the NLCP.

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