KOZHIKODE: Chaliyar and Iruvazhinji rivers remain choked with septic waste on the World Water Day. High content of nitrogen and phosphorous causes the formation of blue green algae where the water turns deep green. Septic waste and fertilisers are rich in these two elements.
On Tuesday night, a pickup vehicle full of septic waste was seized by local residents at Oorkadavu in Mavoor, which was meant to be dumped in Iruvazhinji. The waste dumpers told the police that it was being brought from Areekode. "Septic waste from hotels and other shops is being dumped from Mukkam bridge under the cover of darkness. The authorities are indifferent even after the finding of cyanobacteria in Iruvazhinji," said a health worker in Mavoor.
But the deep green colour change of water in Chaliyar has ringed alarm bells in Areekode and the grama panchayat has swung into action. Close to 750 people, including traders, joined to cleanse the river and the panchayat slapped notices to 27 shops in the town which drained out waste to Chaliyar.
More than half a dozen of drinking water projects of Kerala Water Authority are pumping water from Chaliyar to six grama panchayats in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and to Kozhikode corporation and Manjeri municipality.
