The large fleet of earth movers and trucks that lined up on the riverbank in Erattupetta was hard to miss against the vast expanse of the Meenachil. These machines represented an even bigger objective – restoration of an ecosystem that has sustained irrevocable damage through unscrupulous mining, encroachments, and recurring floods.
Amidst concerns raised by river conservationists, men and machines have begun works to clear the Meenachilar, the lifeline of Kottayam, to remove hurdles to smooth flow of water and reduce the flood risk. The project, which divides the waterbody into three zones within the Erattupetta municipal limits, is a critical part of the ambitious desiltation plan of the river from the Marmala waterfalls on the upstream till Mathirencheri in Vijayapuram.
“It’s a small start to a monumental task,” said Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, while inaugurating the programme. According to him, a special project would soon be launched to ensure that the river flowed clean and smooth. It would be implemented in connection with a programme to revive the State’s river network.
1,000 volunteers
The river restoration project is being implemented through a government-people collaborative, in which about 1,000 volunteers are taking part. Led by the Poonjar legislator Sebastian Kulathungal, the programme will be expanded to other waterbodies and the various check-dams in the region.
The Irrigation department, in its preliminary survey, identified the presence of a heavy silt deposit on the riverbed near the municipality, besides silt formation near the Vattikotta bridge, Kizhakkekara-Vadakkekara causeway, behind the finch channel, the Aruvithura bridge, and the Elakkayam check-dam.
Dissenting voices
The clean-up initiative, meanwhile, comes amidst sharp criticism raised by the Meenachil River Protection Council (MRPC), a collective of river conservationists, against any attempt to de-silt the river. According to the collective, any further attempt to desilt the riverbed, the bottom of which has deepened up to eight metres as a result of sand-mining, will cause soil erosion on the banks. With the removal of sand, the riverbed has lost its capacity to hold water leading to severe drought during summer.
“The authorities have promised not to deepen the riverbed but just to remove the blockades to free flow of water,” pointed out Eby Immanuel, general secretary, MRPC.
