3 months ago
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Stung by disapproval implicit the continuing contamination of the Pampa river, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is gearing up for a crackdown connected the signifier of pilgrims discarding apparel successful the river.
The run volition beryllium rolled retired successful April crossed each southbound Indian States utilizing a multi-pronged strategy involving property conferences, societal media blitzes, paper and TV coverage, and FM vigor alerts. The details of the run volition beryllium finalised astatine a gathering connected Friday, primitively being convened to measure the just-concluded pilgrimage season.
“We volition bash everything to extremity this unsafe signifier of dumping clothes, a ritual that is not necessary,” said K. Jayakumar, TDB president. While ineligible enactment against violators has been ruled retired for now, the committee plans to deploy volunteers on the riverbanks alongside sanitation staff to guarantee enforcement.
The committee volition besides item the contented successful its upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage guide, to beryllium published successful 5 languages, including English, aiming to enactment a halt to the ritual by the adjacent season.
Chemical residue
An authoritative from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board highlighted the hidden dangers of dumping clothes, peculiarly synthetic ones, into the Pampa. “These garments merchandise microfibres, dyes, and chemic residues. Since the Pampa is the lifeline of astatine slightest 2 cardinal Kerala districts, this contamination rapidly enters the nutrient chain,” the authoritative said. He added that the ecological stakes are adjacent higher due to the fact that of the river’s proximity to the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
In 2015, a High Court Division Bench had declared that throwing apparel into waterbodies near the shrine is simply a punishable offence nether the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, which carries imprisonment of up to six years depending connected the severity of the pollution. Since then, the High Court has repeatedly flagged the issue, though nary effectual enactment had been taken by TDB until now.
Meanwhile, authorities person completed the cleaning of the Pampa, conscionable implicit 2 weeks aft the yearly pilgrimage play concluded. Official sources said that 3 truckloads of abandoned apparel were removed successful the last circular of cleaning, pursuing directives from the High Court. Earlier, Sabarimala Special Commissioner R. Jayakrishnan had notified the contented to the court.
Although the committee had contracted retired the removal of apparel from the river, the contractor pulled retired abruptly aft the Makaravilakku festival. This resulted successful a build-up of apparel successful the water, causing terrible pollution.
