OUR RIVERS FLOW UNPROTECTED

OUR RIVERS FLOW UNPROTECTED

The government is facing serious river-based issues like sand-mining, encroachments and problems of effluents. It is yet to constitute a statutory body to monitor the misuse of our water resources. According to experts, the fault lies in rivers being divided among too many government departments. They in fact have too many owners, but no guardians. Departments of Irrigation, Forests, Revenue, Mining, the Pollution Control Board, KSEB and Kerala Science and Technology Council are all among their protectors.

"Water management should always be undertaken at the local body level. How did Plachimada happen? It was because the local panchayat had no say in the issue," said A Latha, river scientist, River Research Institute, Chalakkudy. According to her, previous governments have considered the demand for constituting river basin organizations, but nothing concrete has come up so far. "A Pampa river basin authority was proposed, but it is yet to take shape," she said. " The chief minister had, a few months ago, declared that a river water protection authority would be soon constituted to monitor Periyar River. "We had suggested setting up a river protection force on the lines of the CISF with patrol boats and mobile laboratory to check abuse of the river," said C M Joy, president, Association for EnvironmentalP rotection, Aluva. "Periyar is the lifeline of several lakhs of people in Ernakulam and Idukki districts. The authority set up to protect it should have quasi-judicial powers," said Joy.

                                                                     Prof. John Kurakar