The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has cautioned against the growing pollution status of Pampa river along the bathing ghats in the foothills of Sabarimala ever since the beginning of the annual pilgrim season in mid-November.
In a letter to the District Collector here, district environmental engineer Alexander George said the lean river flow, coupled with the flow of sewage from the river banks, might be the cause of the aggravating pollution status of the river.
However, the inspections carried out by the PCB team could not find any sewage flow into the river, he said. A large number of people taking bath bathing ghats too contributed to the steadily degrading quality of river water, the PCB engineer said.
The alarmingly degraded water quality of the Njunangar stream leading to the Pampa from the Sabarimala Sannidhanam affected the quality of the Pampa at Arattukadavu and its downstream reaches, said the PCB report.
The PCB water quality analysis conducted on Sunday found the faecal coliform (FC) count in the Arattukadavu stretch at 5,100 colony forming unit (CFU) in every 100 ml of water against its maximum permissible limit of 500 CFU/100 ml. The CFU count was only 160 in Arattukadavu on November 18.
Similarly, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of the river water was found 4.7 mg per litre against the maximum permissible limit of 3 mg.
Mr. George said that ensuring a minimum flow of 5 cumecs per second through periodic release of water from the Kullar dam of the Kerala State Electricity Board was the only solution to address the present pollution problem in Pampa.
Mr. George said the authorities should take necessary steps to flush out the polluted water in the Pampa bathing ghats at least once every two days.
The National Green Tribunal directed that all rivers in the country should maintain 15% to 20% of the average lean season flow of that river.
Mr. George said the prolonged blocking of river waters beyond certain limits would invite far-reaching environmental consequences and not to speak of the serious pollution problems in store during the rush days of the ensuing Makaravilakku festival in January.
