The state government’s move to allot Rs 40 crore from the River Management Fund to undertake activities like building check dams and fencing river walls has drawn flak from environmentalists.
The environmentalists said that the move would only help the sand mining mafia. It is alleged that the government is moving ahead with the plan even without conducting a scientific survey.
To augment the trouble, permission has already been granted to undertake such activities in the developmental zone in Ernakulam.
They pointed out that, by building the check dams having considerable width, the authorities are literally giving the sand mafia a smooth access to the rivers.
“Instead of building narrow check dams, most of them are built with too much width so that the sand mafia could literally drive the lorries into the river and illegally mine sand,” environmentalist C M Roy said.
C R Neelakandan, another environmentalist, said that the move lacks vision and will only help drain `40 crore from the Rs 150-crore accumulated in the river management fund.
“Otherwise the government would not have come up with unscientific techniques,” he said.
In addition to helping the mafia, the check dams will literally block the natural springs under water, he pointed out.
“In summer, the river flows straight. But that is not the natural direction of the river.
Without conducting a survey, the authorities are building check dams where they are not supposed to come up,” Joy said.
He said that riparian panchayats in the low lands will experience acute water shortage.
“During high tide, the salt water in the lake will seep into the pump house from where the water is being pumped to other parts.
The water springs from the sides of the river bed.
It will be hindered by the check dams,” he noted.
The environmentalists added that, instead of resorting to building check dams, the need of the hour is organic fencing.
“Riverine plants have to be grown to fence it,” they said.
But Kamal Vardhan Rao, Secretary, Revenue Department, said that building check dams is the scientific option to retain water content in the land.
“The government has decided to go ahead with the project after consulting many heads of department.
Besides, the project was mooted strictly on the recommendations given by the District Collectors,” he said.
The official also added that they will take strict action if the sand mining mafia exploits check dams to mine illegal sand.