The Hindu : Kerala News : Periyar rehabilitation projects hanging fire

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Periyar rehabilitation projects hanging fire

Staff Reporter

Authorities fail to initiate concrete steps for its implementation

KOCHI : Two major environmental projects for the rehabilitation of the Periyar River are on the back burner with the authorities failing to initiate concrete steps for its implementation.

The Periyar River Action Plan and Periyar River Authority are long pending, thanks to the lack of co-ordinated efforts by officials of various Governmental agencies and political parties.

The Periyar River Action Plan, pending before the Union Government for the last seven years, carries several major recommendations, including setting up of a river authority to save the river from extinction. The plan also suggested conducting a survey of the river basin and introduction of permanent monitoring centres.

Sewage treatment plants, setting up of slaughter houses, programmes on eco-tourism and inland navigation, watershed management, renovation of water treatment plant at Aluva and steps for checking saline water incursion and sand-mining were some of the other major recommendations.

In its inception report on the Periyar Action Plan, the State Pollution Control Board has identified six major areas, including industrial pollution, domestic pollution, agricultural pollution, riverbank protection works, control of sand-mining and river flow augmentation for remedial action.

Sources in the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) said the delay in the implementation of the Pampa River Action Plan had affected the prospects of the Periyar Action Plan. The Government would have to put pressure on the Centre to get green signal for more river action plans in Kerala besides ensuring the smooth implementation of sanctioned projects, they said.

River authority

Proposal for setting up the Periyar River Authority is also gathering dust. The previous UDF Government had made a last minute announcement that the authority would be set up soon. But the assurance came at a time when the Government was not in a position to initiate any policy decision following the declaration of State Assembly elections. The proposal will have to be discussed in the Assembly before giving a final nod. The Government has not yet given a final shape to the nature of functioning of the authority. A proposal has to be now evolved on how the authority will work towards protection of the river.

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

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

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail