: The clamour for protecting Periyar River, it seems, to have ended with public statements.
Though the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had invited suggestions from various stakeholders including activists, scientists and environmentalists, none seemed to have taken the call seriously.
The Board had appealed to the stakeholders to come up with suggestions for addressing the issue of repeated fish kill and related environmental issues following a study carried out by a team led by Bijoy Nandan, Associate Professor of the Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology Biochemistry of the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
The suggestions of the researchers including the bioremediation measures and de-sledging the upstream areas of the Pathalam bund in the Periyar had received the flak from some sections of the environmentalists. The Board had also discussed the report at a workshop held here on August.
K. Sajeevan, chairman of the Board, said the agency had not received any significant and scientific inputs and suggestions to address the issue.
As the deadline for submitting the suggestions ended on August 13, the Board received just two suggestions. No serious inputs have been received for saving the river system, he said.
The Board is planning to wait till September 5 for inputs. If the public fails to respond to the issue at desired levels, the Board will once again convene a meeting of the experts including scientists from various research institutions to come up with an actionable plan.
A plan of action will be finalised in consultation with the State government, he said.
As the deadline for submitting the suggestions ended on August 13, the Board received just two suggestions.
