The stinking odour that emanates from the Valiyathodu canal, which courses through Erumely and eventually meets the Manimalayar river, often pervades the spiritual ambiance surrounding the town here.
As every year, the waterbody was an invariable dumping yard for partially treated sewage during the just-concluded Sabarimala pilgrim season.
This unchecked flow of faecal sludge from toilet complexes continuously for about two months has now choked its water flow, raising severe health concerns.
Court’s intervention
Miffed over the continuing inaction by the authorities concerned in cleaning the waterbody, a few local residents in Erumely have now approached the High Court of Kerala seeking its intervention in restoring and protecting the waterbody.
Admitting a Public Interest Litigation in this regard, the court has sought the response of the departments concerned on the issue prior to commencing the hearing.
Permanent solution
According to the petitioners, the objective is to make a permanent solution to the issue of sewage treatment.
“Around 2,000 toilets run by various agencies including the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Erumely Jamath operate in the town here round the clock without sewage treatment plants (STPs).
The directions by the District Collector to establish STPs from time to time have fallen in deaf years,” says Lijin Thampan, who represents the petitioners.
The continuous discharge of waste, according to the Pollution Control Board (PCB), raises the presence of faecal coliform bacteria in the canal by several times over the permissible level of 500 units.
Taking a serious note of the issue, the PCB proposed action, including environment compensation cost against the TDB, for polluting the waterbody.
Though temporary stop-memos and show-cause notices were issued on the basis of it, the authorities are yet to initiate any major action against the polluters.
“The PCB concluded its operations in Erumely on January 20 after collecting a few water samples from the Valiyathodu canal. As far as the removal of faecal sludge is concerned, nothing major was done except for transporting a few truck loads to the treatment plant at Brahmapuram,’’ said a senior PCB official.
Clean-up drive
Confirming the issue, T.S. Krishna Kumar, president, Erumely grama panchayat, said a clean-up drive would initiate to clear the sewage waste choking the canal.
“The waste, which has piled up at different points, poses serious ecological and health risks, especially those dependent on the Manimalar river as a primary source of water. It will be taken out and disposed in two days’ time,” he said.
