Motivated by a group of green activists from the region, residents of Koodathai in the district have come to the rescue of Iruthullipuzha, a major tributary of Iruvanhjipuzha, near Thamarassery in Kozhikode.
They have chalked out an year-long plan to protect the river from pollution and maintain it for the future generations.
The activist group — Koodathai Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi — has also ensured the support and participation of different agencies such as Kudumbasree and Janasree, besides students and voluntary organisations from the region, for the cause. Residents in the region through which the river flows have been divided into different clusters comprising 25 families, who will ensure the cleanliness and protection of the waterbody in their respective area.
Members of these clusters will also undertake different cleaning initiatives. The stretch of river at Ambalamukku, Bhoothankuzhi, and Poovathode areas has already been cleaned by the volunteers.
“We will clean the stretch from Karimanna to Thonikkadavu in a few days,” said the Samithi members, who maintained that different monitoring committees would supervise the activities of the cluster.
Plastic waste
The Samithi has also decided to implement a comprehensive plastic waste management scheme for the entire region so that the waste does not end up in the river. The plastic waste collected at houses will be periodically collected from each cluster to be taken to recycling units.
A decision to fix two-metre high iron-fences on both sides of the Koodathai bridge across the river to check dumping of waste bags in the river. The Samithi will also take out a Sandesa Yatra from the origin of the river to where it meets the Iruvanhjipuzha, sensitising people to the importance of protecting the river from polluters, encroachers, and illegal sand-miners.
Writer and social critic M.N. Karassery inaugurated the drive at Amabalamukku, near Koodathai, in the presence of over 100 environment protection workers on Thursday.
