Drawing attention of the authorities to the need for conservation of the Iruvazhinhi river, a collective of river-side residents and environmental activists will host a “river summit” at Mukkom on February 28. The event titled “Puzhakal Paadunnu” (the rivers sing) will also witness the participation of local body representatives and leaders of various socio-cultural organisations.
Mukkom Municipal Chairman P.T. Babu will open the meet. The main intention of the summit is to draw up an action plan for addressing conservation issues in the area. The participation of various local bodies will also be sought for the implementation of the project.
The event coordinators said they had come up with the local summit for action after conducting a field study on the environmental issues related to the river.
The functionaries of “Ente Swantham Iruvazhinji”, the collective which hosts the meet, said they would also present a detailed field study report explaining the pollution issues now being faced by the river and the immediate solutions to address concerns. This was going to be a mass convention, where local residents would also share their opinion on the issue, they said.
This is the first time that a “river summit” is being held to draw the attention of the authorities. The Kerala River Protection Committee has also come up with its support for the initiative.
For several years, environmental activists have been fighting against the rampant pollution of the river and encroachment on the river bed.Some of the studies had also brought to light the increasing presence of coliform bacteria and other poisonous substances in the water. The reckless dumping of septage into the river was also an unattended issue.
