KOCHI: CPM Ernakulam District Committee has asked the State Government to take steps to form Periyar River Authority so as to protect the river. In a statement district secretary P Rajeev said that Periyar continues to be the prime drinking water source for the people of Ernakulam district. “The river gets polluted due to different reasons. An expert committee should probe and find out the reasons for it. The CPM district committee is not of the opinion that all industries on its banks and nearby should be closed down. However, the government should ensure that all these industries conform to the pollution laws in the country,” said Rajeev. He said that media reports indicate that apart from industrial effluents, hospital waste and human waste also pollute the river.
“The government and the society as a whole have the responsibility to keep Periyar pollution-free. It is also not correct to unleash a propaganda that the drinking water coming from Periyar is contaminated, without conducting any scientific study. A committee appointed by the District Collector had found this propaganda as false,” he said. Mr Rajeev added that to allay fears of the people over this, a credible investigation should be conducted into the issue. “Hence a river authority should be formed to secure Periyar for the people,” Rajeev said.
