With the Kalpathy Car Festival round the corner, the demand for revitalising the Kalpathy river, the region’s lifeline, has gained momentum. Taking a dip in the river forms an integral part of the centuries-old car festival. However, the river is facing an imminent death.
Despite a relatively better monsoon, water level in the river has remained very low. If not initiative is taken to clean up and maintain the river, its condition could worsen after the festival.
“A major feeder of the Bharathapuzha and a drinking water source of Palakkad town and nearby areas, Kalpathy river is facing severe neglect from the authorities. Though the authorities are spending some money just ahead of the car festival for cleaning the river, the effort would have no lasting impact on the river. Instead of short-term measures, the river needs a long-term revitalisation drive,” says Kalpathy river protection forum convener P.N. Viswanathan.
“The festival is indeed the appropriate occasion to initiate river protection works. But they must not be festival-specific and must involve long-term measures,” he adds. Illegal sand-mining, unauthorised constructions and water hyacinth are killing the river which passes through Kalpathy before merging with the Bharathapuzha. “The river figures in public debate only during the car festival. On other occasions, authorities are least bothered. There must be strict monitoring against dumping of waste into the river,” says Karimpuzha Raman, president of Kerala Brahmana Sabha and a local resident.
Low water level
According to Mr. Viswanathan, hundreds who throng the village during festival would not be able to perform a complete dip in the river due to the low water level. Originating from the upper slopes of the Western Ghats like Chenthamarakkulam, north of Walayar, the river is a confluence of the streams Malampuzha, Walayar, Korayar, and Varattar. Massive deforestation in the Walayar region has reduced the inflow of water to the river considerably.
Sand-mining has led to the growth of shrubs in the riverbed. Though the summer is yet to set in, the river looks almost like a green carpet of water hyacinth. Despite several promises to remove water hyacinth and waste materials from the river, no steps have been taken in the recent past.
