The Hindu : Pampa Action Plan in three stages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Pampa Action Plan in three stages

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DEC. 11. The Minister for Water Resources, T.M. Jacob, said here on Wednesday that the Pampa Action Plan for abatement of pollution in the river would be implemented with assistance from the Centre and financial participation of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and local self-governments.

The Minister was talking to presspersons at a function organised in connection with the submission of the report of the expert committee on Pampa Action Plan.

The Minister said that out of the total project cost of Rs. 319.7 crores, 70 per cent was expected as assistance from the Central Government. The balance was to be spent by the TDB and 22 panchayats in the region.

Mr. Jacob said the expert committee had submitted a report for implementation of the scheme for abatement of pollution in three stages at a cost of Rs. 278 crores. However, as per revised PWD rates, the cost would now be Rs. 319.7 crores.

He said that though the State had submitted a Rs. 272-crore project for inclusion in the Tenth Plan, the Centre had not approved it on account of financial constraints. Instead, it had sought division of the schemes on the basis of their capacity for checking pollution. For doing this, the Government appointed a six-member expert committee with the superintending engineer of the Kerala Water Authority, N.R. Rajkumar, as convener.

The committee has recommended establishment of facilities for disposal of solid wastes at Pampa and Sabarimala, construction of latrines, bathrooms and drains and construction of check-dams and bathing ghats at Pampa and afforestation of the catchment of Pampa to increase flow in the first stage.

Construction of camps for pilgrims at Nilackal, Pampa Valley and Kalaketty with sanitation facilities and establishment of solid waster treatment facilities, latrines, bathing ghats, drains and waste disposal facilities along the river would also be part of the first stage. Steps would also be taken for regeneration of streams besides campaigns to create awareness about cleanliness.

In the second stage, works such as establishment of intermediate camp at Perunadu, facilities for disposal of solid waste in various panchayats and municipalities and sanitation works not covered in the first phase for these areas have been included. Water treatment facilities would be set up in hospitals on the sides of the river. Sanitation works would also be undertaken in panchayats adjoining the tributaries of Pampa.

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Pampa Action Plan in three stages