While rivers flow through the front yard of houses in several countries, in India most people have turned their back on rivers, as a result of which they have become waste pits. The Jalasamrakshana Sandesha Yatra of the Jilla Puzhasamrakshana Ekopana Samithi that concluded on Wednesday was an attempt to drive home the need to conserve rivers.
“There is no way to keep the rivers clean other than through public initiatives. There is no point in entrusting the task to governments, as everything depends on the interest shown by the officials concerned, who may not stay in the position for more than two years,” said Faisal Pallikkandy, the secretary of the Samithi.
Local squads
Through the yatra, the Samithi has put forth a proposal before the government to form local squads for the protection of rivers. The squads will have as its members police sub inspectors, panchayat presidents, village officers and other local political leaders besides the volunteers of the local puzha samrakshana samithis.
“The river-scape we had 20 years ago does not exist now. They have been widely encroached upon, causing bottlenecks that disrupt the smooth flow of water,” said Mr. Pallikkandy.
The yatra, which was flagged off on Tuesday from the banks of the Kallai river, was well received at various locations in the district such as Feroke (Chaliyar), Perumukham (Pullippuzha), Ramanattukara (Neelithodu), Karapparmba (Connolly Canal), Pantheerankavu (Mampuzha), Mukkam (Iruvazhinji), Cheruvattakkadavu (Poonoor ) and Atholi, before it concluded on the banks of the Korappuzha on Wednesday.
Awareness programmes on the need to protect the rivers were organised at each location. Pamphlets were distributed and the local Samithi members took a pledge to protect rivers.
