The rivers in Kozhikode are likely to get a fresh lease of life with the Haritha Keralam Mission taking the initiative to bring together various stakeholders for a year-long drive for the upkeep of the water bodies. On March 22, World Water Day, the cleaning of Poonoor river will be launched at Vellimadukunnu.
The decision was taken at a meeting of representatives of various government departments and voluntary organisations that have been undertaking river protection drives in the district on Monday. The meeting chaired by district panchayat president Babu Parasseri was meant to coordinate the efforts in territories of 13 local bodies through which the river passes and to ensure the participation of local agencies such as residents’ associations, environmentalists and other organisations in the cleaning process.
The 58-km length of the river will be divided into 200-metre-long segments and each segment will be managed by a local task force of around 10 to 20 volunteers. They will remove all forms of waste from the river to ensure its smooth flow. The non-biodegradable waste thus collected would be sent for recycling under the aegis of Niravu Vengeri while the biodegradable waste would be composted on the spot, said P. Prakash, district coordinator of the Haritha Keralam Mission.
More campaigns
Intensive campaigns will be conducted at the panchayat level under the aegis of the Suchitwa Mission. An intensive clean-up drive will be held in late April or early May when the river dries up and the flow is weak.
Meanwhile, a re-survey will be held along the banks of the river to check encroachments. There are also plans to set up high nets on bridges and other places, from where waste is dumped into rivers. The local bodies will fund the initiative.
District Collector U.V. Jose, Suchitwa Mission District Programme Officer C. Kabani, soil conservation officer Ayisha T.P., and members of district panchayat and grama panchayat took part in the meeting.
