KOCHI: Even two weeks after the famed Sivarathri festival, Periyar, which is the drinking water source of Kochi and its suburbs, continues to remain dirty.
“Human waste from open defecation after over 10 lakh pilgrims thronged the Manalpuram is yet to be removed from the sand bank. The Aluva municipality has to be blamed for this,” said Prof S. Seetharaman, general secretary, All-Kerala River Protection Council.
“Plastic and other types of waste too are strewn around,” said Prof Seetharaman. “Once Periyar was carrying medicated water and a dip in the water was rejuvenating, but today a dip in the river would lead you to hospital,” said Venu Variyath, another environmentalist.
Prof Seetharaman warned that unless immediate action was taken, these tonnes of human waste would flow into the pump houses in Periyar from where drinking water is supplied to Kochi and its outskirts.
