The success of the efforts to revive river Kuttamperoor has put a spring in the stride of the proponents of rejuvenating paleochannels in the area. The most prominent among them is the one to bring alive Varattar and Aadi Pampa flowing through two panchayats - Eraviperoor and Koyipram - in Pathanamthitta district and Thiruvanvandoor panchayat and Chengannur municipality in Alappuzha. Though Eraviperoor panchayat had launched an initiative during 2013- 14, it could not develop into a successful one.
However, a two-phased campaign named “Varatte Aar’ (Let the river come), will be inaugurated with a walk through the river on May 29. “Many had apprehensions when we started this initiative to rejuvenate the 12 km Varattar as they had the misconception it is called so because it is a dried up river,” said N Rajeev, vice president of Eraviperoor panchayat, who made the proposal four years ago when he was heading the local body.
“According to a legend, it is Varatte Aar, an invocation to let the river come. We can’t do the Herculean task in a couple of days. It will be done in a phased manner. To begin with, we will make a path in the river where we can have a walk. We expect the participation of nearly 500 workers from MGNREGS.” The construction of unscientific bridges, culverts and spillways are creating a problem, though. Encroachments too are major hindrances to the smooth flow of the rivers. “We have evicted 12 acres of encroachments from a four-km stretch,” he said. Practical methods will be followed to make the river rejuvenation a success. “Rivers cannot sustain unless it is a need of the system surrounding it. They need an organic coexistence with society,” he said.