The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Notice to KWA, Irrigation Department

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Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Notice to KWA, Irrigation Department

Special Correspondent

PCB seeks steps to check pollution of River Karamana

Check disposal of waste from sewage plant
Directive to remove sand block at Cheriyamuttam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board has issued notice to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and the Minor Irrigation Department calling for immediate steps to check the pollution of the Karamana river at Thiruvallam.

The notice addressed to the Managing Director, Kerala Water Authority, and the Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation Department, said the heavy pollution was primarily due to the disposal of untreated waste from the sewage treatment plant at Muttathara which reached the river through the TS Canal at Moonnattumukku. It warned of an outbreak of epidemics such as malaria, filariasis, dengue fever and chikungunya if the pollution was allowed to persist.

The letter was accompanied by an analysis report of water samples collected from the river at Thiruvallam on March 3. The report stated that the high value of ammoniacal nitrogen, which is due to sewage pollution, was the main reason for the mass mortality of fish reported in the area. The river water, it observed, was black in colour and emanated a foul odour. “A large part of the area was covered with water hyacinth and was a breeding place of mosquitoes. There is serious danger of an epidemic outbreak,” it said.

The report shows abnormally high level of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), which represents the oxygen used by microorganisms to decompose organic waste. If there is a large quantity of organic waste in the water supply, there will also be a lot of bacteria present working to decompose this waste. The analysis shows a BOD of 7.5 to 7.8 mg per litre in samples collected from two different areas at Thiruvallam, against a maximum limit of 3.

The Dissolved Oxygen content in the samples is at the borderline level of 5 mg per litre. Adequate dissolved oxygen is necessary for good water quality and to support aerobic life forms. As dissolved oxygen levels in water drop below 5.0 mg/l, aquatic life is put under stress. The lower the concentration, the greater the stress. Oxygen levels that remain below 1-2 mg/l for a few hours can result in large fish kills.

The notice stated that the failure to install a sewage treatment plant was responsible for the pollution. It called for urgent steps to provide primary, secondary and tertiary treatment facilities.

In the letter addressed to the Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation, the PCB stressed the need to remove the sand block at Cheriyamuttam to restore the flow from Moonnattumukku to the sand bar at the mouth of the river. It explained that the water stagnated in the river due to the sand bar in the TS Canal at Cheriyamuttam. During high tide, the river reversed its flow, polluting the upstream reaches. There is a chance of deterioration of water quality at the intake points of the Kerala Water Authority, it pointed out.

The Chief Engineer has been directed to take up the construction of a seawall to prevent recurrence of a sand block at Cheriyamuttam. Another proposal was to provide a temporary bund at the narrow portion of the river towards Thiruvallam at Moonnattumukku. The PCB also called for the construction of a cross way across the TS Canal at Cheriyamuttam.

The heavy pollution of the downstream stretches of the Karamana had created unsanitary conditions for local residents and devotees visiting the Parasurama temple at Thiruvallam.

Local people are up in arms demanding action on the part of the government to check the pollution of the river. They fear that the unsanitary conditions would lead to a public health crisis and affect the region’s nascent tourism industry.

In 1997, the Legislative Committee on Environment had reported that the pollution caused by the release of raw sewage into the Killi River near the Jagathy Bridge was at an ‘explosive’ level. The same year, the Pollution Control Board (PCB) issued notice to the KWA to stop discharge of untreated sewage into the river. But lack of political and administrative will has hampered efforts to clean up the river.

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