KOCHI: With the quality of water being drawn from Muttar, a tributary of Periyar, deteriorating and questions being raised over using it for domestic purposes, Eloor Municipal authorities have decided to seek state government’s intervention into the issue. According to greens and researchers, the lack of oxygen in the water, the toxic effluents being discharged by various industrial units, illegal dumping of waste and the growth of water hyacinth have affected the quality, flow and colour of the river water.
“Periyar, from Marthanda Varma bridge, bifurcates into two. The problem with the Muttar stream is that the flow of water is less, it is almost still. The reasons for this are encroachments on both the sides, over growth of weeds and water hyacinth and waste being dumped from buildings. Water leaching out from the waste dump yard of Kalamassery Municipality too flows into Muttar through Thoombunkal Thodu,” said Purushan Eloor, an environmentalist.
Residents of Eloor Municipality depend upon the water being pumped by the FACT pump house for their daily requirements. “People of nearly 20 divisions under Eloor Municipality use the water from the FACT pump house. Four industries and a major private hospital too draw water from Muttar. They use the treated water for various purposes. But now, the colour of the river water has changed into brown due to lack of oxygen,” said A D Sujil, vice chairman, Eloor Municipality.
Earlier this year, massive fish deaths were reported in Periyar. Experts pointed out lack of oxygen in the river water due to pollution as the reason behind the fish deaths. Fish like ribbon fish (vaala), which is a bottom feeder and can survive on less oxygen, too didn’t escape death. Fish deaths were reported from Thoombunkal Thodu too.
“Nearly 20,000 people in Eloor Municipality depend upon the water drawn from Muttar. They complain that the water, even after treatment at the pump house, has a bad smell. If you collect even a little amount of water from Muttar you will realise how bad the quality is,” added Purushan.
After complaints poured in from different quarters about the waste dumping yard of Kalamassery Municipality, the local body officials of Eloor informed the civic authorities about the seriousness of the issue. “But they are totally ignoring our demands and have become blind to the environment hazards posed by dumping yard to Muttar,” Sujil added.
Meanwhile, BJP workers on Wednesday staged a protest before Eloor Municipality for not taking actions to solve the pollution issues faced by Muttar. BJP district president N K Mohandas inaugurated the sit-in.