Even as the local bodies upstream the Killi river have begun a mission to save the river in right earnest, the city Corporation has a whole set of different challenges at hand in reviving the river. Before it could begin any clean-up activity, it has to ensure that all the sources of waste material flowing into the river are closed.
The local body last month conducted a survey of families on either side of the river and found some to be releasing septage into the river and served notices on them. But health officials here soon realised that this will address only a small percentage of the waste flowing into the river.
They had not considered all the streams that were flowing into the river and the drains carrying storm water and waste into this. Septage waste from houses and other establishments, which are not near the river, too flows into this. The Corporation has now asked the health officials to conduct an initial survey of all such connecting streams and submit it by April 25.
“A large number of storm water drains flow into the river at various points and through connecting streams. There are many points at which people have connected their waste outlets into these drains. To identify all this is a huge task, considering the fact that we have to remove the slabs and check everywhere. But, without doing this, there is no point even if you clean up all the waste in the river now, because it will be back again to the previous state in no time,” says a Corporation official.
Once the initial survey is conducted, a team of experts will prepare an action plan on how to go about with the cleaning programme.
In the initial survey along the 12 km of the river that passes through the city, 521 families were found to have been releasing waste including faecal matter into the river.
Septic tanks
The local body will provide pre-fabricated septic tanks to those families who cannot afford to build one. The others have been asked to build one. Quite a few waste dumping sites have also been identified near the river. Nets will be put in such areas.
Upstream, a 22-km stretch of the river, beginning from Karinchathimoola, the origin of the river in Panavoor grama panchayat, till Vazhayila bridge is being cleaned up as part of the Killiyar Mission.
The 31 canals and over 50 rivulets which flow into the river along this stretch are also being cleaned. But, the river stretch through the panchayat has less amount of septage waste flowing into it.
