In a unique proposal aimed at involving local communities in anti-pollution initiatives, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) plans to introduce a check-post in the Eloor-Edayar industrial area to curb illegal dumping of chemical and other hazardous effluents into water resources.
Highly placed sources in the board told The Hindu on Monday that select members of the local population would be involved in the drive, aimed at stepping up community involvement in programmes against pollution. Activists of environmental organisations and senior officials of the board would soon meet to chalk out the details of the proposal.
The objective is to encourage fishermen, farmers, and other local people to monitor rivers to spot pollution.
They will be appointed environmental surveillance wardens, with powers to report dumping of hazardous and other wastes in rivers.
The board is also considering a recommendation by the Supreme Court that members of an alert and informed community who were fully aware of the nature of hazardous waste and its impact on their health could help in protecting and saving natural resources.
Proposals
The sources said the proposal would include recommendations made by a high-power committee of the apex court that had referred to a law enacted in the U.S. in the wake of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Act, 1986, that required preparation of emergency-response plans by companies with involvement of the local communities.
Senior board officials said the funds for maintaining the check-post would be collected from the industrial units in the Eloor-Edayar industrial area. Members of the local communities would receive salary and other benefits for participating in the drive.
The decision to set up the check-post is part of the efforts being made by the board to evolve a permanent mechanism for monitoring the Periyar river round the clock. Stringent action will be taken against those who dump septic tank waste in water bodies.
