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Government gives its approval for setting up river authority

Staff Reporter

Action plan for protecting Periyar to be evolved

KOCHI: The `Save Periyar' campaign has got a boost with the Government giving its nod for setting up a river authority.

The `Periyar River Authority' is expected to conduct regular monitoring and suggest measures to improve the quality of the river.

It would carry out research on the ecological status of the river periodically and would also coordinate the activities of various Government Departments, NGOs and other organisations involved in river protection.

The authority would carry out maintenance of embankments and would also suggest measures for the improvement of the riverbanks.

A comprehensive action plan for protecting the river would be evolved.

Action plan

The authority would initiate steps for formulating action plans on areas like afforestation, rehabilitation and resettlement, survey of river basins, pollution monitoring centres, sewage treatment plants, provision of septic tanks and installation of slaughter houses.

Action plans on eco-tourism and inland navigation, prevention of salinity incursion, watershed management and awareness programmes would also be prepared as part of protecting the rivers.

The Periyar Action Plan drafted in 1997 had suggested that the authority be an autonomous body with quasi-judiciary powers constituted under separate legislation.

According to a recommendation included in the action plan, a chairman who would be directly appointed by the Government would head the authority. A Board of members would monitor the activities of the authority.

The Board would consist of people's representatives, environmentalists, NGOs, voluntary organisations, representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Forest Department, Tourism Department, legal sector, media, factories, agriculture, irrigation and Land Use Board, mining and geology, local bodies, district administration, Tourism Department, Kerala State Pollution Control Board and Kerala State Electricity Board.

All policies related to the functioning of the authority would be vested with the Board.

Scientific body

The Association for Environment Protection, Aluva, has urged the Government to have a scientific plan while constituting the River Authority.

The authority should be able to suggest steps for resolving the acute drinking water shortage experienced by people depending on the river.

A river protection forum should be formed under the authority. It should also initiate programmes to conduct regular tests of water samples collected from the river.

Powers for permitting hydroelectric projects and sand mining should be vested with the authority.

Representatives of the association urged the Government to speed up the process of setting up the authority.

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