Date:27/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/08/27/stories/2005082700751900.htm

Back Pampa Action Plan still in limbo

G.K. Nair

Kochi , Aug. 26

NON-implementation of the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan (PAP) project, which was sanctioned by the Centre under the National River Conservation Programme (NRCP) about two years ago, has deprived the State of subsequent allocations besides delaying the cleaning of the river for the benefit of lakhs of people living in the Pampa river basin.

The Centre had accepted the Rs 319.70-crore project, submitted by the State Government on December 19, 2002, to be completed in three phases, following the inclusion of the River Pampa in the NRCP in June 2001.

Subsequently, for the implementation of the first component of the project involving a total investment of Rs 18.45 crore the NRC Directorate had sanctioned its 70 per cent share of the cost — Rs 12.91 crore in June 2003. Besides, Rs 75 lakh was also given as advance.

"But, the State Government had not so far done anything towards implementing the PAP," Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi, told Business Line. He said that the importance of this project had yet to be understood by the authorities.

The project is vital for controlling and reducing pollution in the river Pampa during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season.

Given the high presence of coliform bacteria in the river water during the season, "it is imperative that water quality of Pampa river be improved/upgraded in its entire stretch not only for use of water for pilgrims and in the townships situated within the basis, but also for improving water quality in the downstream stretches, especially in the water logged areas of Kuttanad and Vembanadu Lake," the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) sources said.

In fact, the water quality monitoring done by the KSPCB as per the directions of the Kerala High Court, has brought to light the urgent need for an action plan for cleaning up of the river, they said.

According to Mr Nair, the Government has yet to realise the need for implementation of the PAP. He said that river cleaning up projects under the NRCP were under implementation in 17 States involving 27 rivers with the objective of completing the work by 2007 so as to bring down pollution of these river waters to acceptable levels and for human use.

With this objective Rs 2,123 crore has been allocated in the 10th Plan revised outlay, while the allocation for the current fiscal for the River Action Plan is Rs 347.5 crore. But the State could not avail itself of these allocations due to non-utilisataion of the allotted funds, he alleged.

While the PAP project is in limbo, the State, despite the inclusion of the Vembanad backwaters in the National Lake Conservation Programme (NLCP) by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in July 2003, had not yet submitted any project report to the Centre so far.

The MoEF had requested the State Government to take necessary action for submitting a detailed project report with firm costs for conservation of Vembanadu backwaters along with the commitments to bear 30 per cent cost of the project and O and M costs.

Considering the deteriorating condition of the Vembanad Lake area, which had shrunk by 37 per cent to 13,224 hectare from its original area of 36,329, the Centre had included it in the NLCP. The water carrying capacity of the system has also been reduced to 0.6 km3 from 2.4km2 with a decline of 75 per cent.

All these projects are environment related and their implementation has to be done as per the guidelines of the NRCP and NLCP. But for the State in the absence of an environment policy and a department to handle such issues it might be difficult to implement these projects, Mr Nair pointed out. Timely non-implementation of them would lead to an environmental disaster, he claimed.