A national summit on the ‘Revival and Rejuvenation of Bharatapuzha River basin’ will be held in New Delhi to deliberate on the way forward.
New Delhi: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed,” said Mahatma Gandhi. These words resonate in the most melancholic manner when one looks at the current state of the once mighty river Bharathappuzha. Situated in Kerala, it flows as a relic of mankind’s incessant greed and apathy. With a length of 209 km, the river also known as Nila was the lifeline of Northern Kerala and has given its civilization a unique cultural identity. But now, its glorious past is all but forgotten and it is dying a slow death.
The unfortunate fact here is that the reason for river Nila’s degradation is not climate change, but the unscientific and thoughtless ways in which humans have exploited natural resources. The reckless sand mining which went unchecked for years is among the primary factors that destroyed the river. The vested interests of politicians, bureaucrats and the businessmen meant that sand mining was allowed to continue despite visible signs of bank erosion and the lowering of groundwater. As is the case with most water bodies in India, the dumping of garbage and liquid waste directly into the river has contaminated the water making it non-potable. An examination of water samples has revealed huge numbers of coli form bacteria.
Despite the pollution levels rising, no effective steps have been taken so far to curb this menace. The growth of shrubs and weeds has also been choking the river.
Ecologists have expressed concerns that if the river may change its course due to the obstruction caused by the tall grasses.
It needs to be noted that Nila originates from the Anamalai Hills in Tamil Nadu and one third of its catchment area lies in the state. The construction of multiple dams and the inter-basin transfer of water are among the reasons behind the river’s destruction. Also, during the monsoons, the only season which sees the river over-flowing, there are no efforts made to conserve the excess water and it simply flows into the Arabian Sea.
Taking into consideration the fact that Nila is the lone source of drinking water and of several irrigation schemes in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram, the rejuvenation of the river demands an urgency. There are as many as 175 villages dependent on the river. This means if conservation measures are not adopted with immediate effect, Kerala will be faced with a catastrophe that will put the lives and livelihoods of thousands at risk.
In view of the seriousness of the issue, a national summit on the ‘Revival and Rejuvenation of Bharatapuzha River basin’ will be held on March 24, 2018 at JNU New Delhi. The event which is being organised by Nila Vicharavedi will see the participation of ministers, bureaucrats, academicians and activists to deliberate on the way forward.
