The Public Accounts Committee of the Kerala State Assembly has recommended that steps be taken to make city autorickshaws switch to compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel
PAC Chairman T.M. Thomas Isaac, MLA, who is the former Finance Minister of the State, said since Kochi was the busiest city in the State, it had been recommended to start the change in Kochi. The fuel switch will be implemented in other towns gradually.
The recommendation came in a meeting held on Wednesday to review steps taken on the recommendations of PAC on environment in connection with the air pollution in Kochi, said a press release from the Public Relations Department.
The PAC also recommended action plans to protect rivers in the State on the lines of Ganga Action Plan. It has recommend to include not only government departments but also universities and private entities. Any delay in the formation of action plans would result in the destruction of riverine resources, it said.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board attributed the dangerous levels of coliform bacteria in river water to increasing instances of septage being dumped into rivers. The board also said it was taking steps to control industrial pollution and that facilities had been set up to monitor pollution in the Edayar and Eloor industrial areas.