The much sought-after rejuvenation of river Varattar has once again attracted official attention when the matter came for discussion at the Chief Minister’s mass contact programme held in Pathanamthitta three days ago.
Varattar is a 9-km-long natural flood escape route between the rivers Pampa and Manimala. Signifying its name Varattar, meaning dry river, this once prolific water source is now heavily weeded along its route.
The long-pending issue of Varattar rejuvenation was raised at the mass contact programme by Varattar Samrakshana Samiti president Ajithprasad Thalayar.
Mr. Ajithprasad has decried the inordinate delay in properly pursuing the river rejuvenation process even after several rounds of discussions at both political and official levels over the past two decades.
He said the Legislative Committee on Environment had inspected the Varattar riverbed in 2002 to verify the largescale encroachment of the riverbed.
The House panel had observed that almost two-thirds of the Varattar riverbed has been encroached upon by the local population for cultivating tapioca, rice, vegetables, fodder grass, etc.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has directed the District Collector to seriously look into the matter as the government has given top priority for water conservation.
Mr Ajithprasad said the Chief Minister has directed the Collector to speed up the scientific proposal for the river rejuvenation.
The riverbed that spread across the revenue districts of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha has been encroached upon by private parties along many stretches. Some encroachers have even constructed houses on the riverbed after obtaining possession certificates from the authorities concerned, Mr Ajithprasad alleged.
The Assembly Committee on Environment had recommended rejuvenation of Varattar with the hope that it could be a boon to the otherwise water-scarce Varattar river basin. The Assembly panel had also asked the government to initiate necessary steps for clearing all encroachments on the river basin and to cancel the possession certificates for the encroached land..
