The government is bound to ensure environment-friendly development activities at Sabarimala and Pampa, Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS) general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair has said.
Talking to The Hindu here on Tuesday, the samiti leader said that successive governments had failed to check unscientific construction in the name of pilgrim amenities. The presence of coliform bacteria in the Pampa river had shown an alarmingly high rate during the past six years, despite claims of various pollution abatement measures by government agencies and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), he said.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) had recorded coliform counts of 1,64,000, 4,00,000, 2,52,000, 3,20,000, 4,50,000, 4,70,000 on January 14 in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 respectively. The maximum permissible limit of coliform count in every 100 ml of water is 500, and that too only for bathing purpose.
Mr. Nair said the water Act of 1974 had categorically stated that dumping of waste into the river was a criminal offence that warranted jail term for offenders. Strangely, no action had been initiated against the offenders at Sabarimala, he said.
Pampa Action Plan
The PPS leader said the much-sought-after Pampa Action Plan had been sabotaged. Though the Centre had sanctioned the fund, the State government had failed to take up the project in its real spirit. A modern sewage treatment plant constructed at Sabarimala at a cost of ₹23 crore had failed to clear the efficacy evaluation of the PCB, Mr. Nair said.
Forest land
The PPS said the TDB demand for more forestland at Sabarimala was not realistic. The TDB is yet to utilise the one hectare of land allotted to it in 2004 for setting up a modern STP at Pampa, he said.
Nilackal base camp
Mr. Nair said 250 ha of forestland at Nilackal had been allotted to the TDB on July 16, 2005 to set up a full-fledged base camp for pilgrims to avert overcrowding. But the TDB had failed to provide proper facilities there, he alleged.
The PPS leader called upon the government to revive the Pampa Action Plan and constitute an environment management committee for coordinating the activities.
