Thiruvananthapuram: In view of the heavy pollution of Karamana River, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given an ultimatum to the state government to come up with an action plan for the conservation of the river which originates from Agastyar-Koodam of Western Ghats and joins the Arabian Sea.
The NGT has summoned the Chief Secretary to come up with an action plan to conserve the 65-km river stretch on April 25, sources said. On Friday, the state-level monitoring committee of the tribunal carried out a spot visit at the most polluted part of the river.
It is learnt that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had identified the 4-km stretch from Melekadavu to Munnattumukku of the river as heavily polluted after a study by it.
“The heavily polluted stretch is the point where the Parvathy Puthanar, Killiyar and Karamana river merge. Pollutants and effluence from the canal are released to the river causing the pollution. The Central PCB had checked the quality of the water and found this part as the most polluted,” said the official.
An official said that the state-level committee of NGT visited the stretch and reviewed the current situation. According to officials, the committee will be reviewing various factors causing pollution especially the implementation of the solid waste management rule by the local body. Inadequate sewers and lack of biomedical waste management system are some of the issues which would come under the scanner of the Tribunal.
“A committee comprising secretaries of various departments was constituted and the draft action plan is almost ready. It specifies the steps to be taken to minimize the level of pollution and how to keep the river clean,” said the officil.
