Erattupetta: The Meenachil river, locally known as Meenachilar, has shrunk at several stretches in the aftermath of the ruinous deluge in August. The river has become shallow and narrow at many places with water flow seriously limited. Worsening the crisis, dumping of waste continues unhindered in the river as ever, with tons of solid waste, including plastic and excreta, from the four municipalities around it piling up again in the river.
All 38 streams that brought water to the river have thinned. Small streams have disappeared altogether. Sand beds that used to hold water in the river have also vanished. Fresh sand deposits are not seen now. Instead, the bottom of the river is getting filled up with silt.
The Meenachilar Samrakshana Samiti (river protection council) has taken an initiative to conduct a study on the river's plight after the flood. After a river tour, the council reported that it is facing certain death.
The group studied how much the water had risen during the unprecedented flooding, changes brought about by the deluge, changes in its course, the rate of sand deposits and quantum of waste accumulation on the banks.
The Samiti members started the tour from the source of the river. They noted that the system put in place by nature to store up rain water has vanished. The river has thinned, they pointed out, and expressed concern at the unhindered disposal of garbage into the river. The solid waste, mainly plastic and excreta, are dumped in huge quantities from the municipal areas of Kottayam, Erattupetta, Palai and Ettumanur. Plants on the banks can be seen entwined with plastic. Waste from lavatories, workshops, service stations, commercial establishments and factories are being discharged into Meenachilar, without anyone trying to stop it.
Wells providing drinking water for all four municipal areas are located in the river. Large-scale ripping of mud deposits in the hilly areas using machinery reduced the natural storage of water in the wells. As the mud settled again, rain water reached the river swiftly.
Silt has accumulated over bunds built to stop water. The protection group also assessed that certain places on the banks of the river have been affected as water that had earlier flowed in a broad areas narrowed there. Paddy fields have been lost, up to 75% of them, in the hills as well as around the river.
Construction work in and around Vagamon has also affected natural water storage there and several meadows have been destroyed. The area has severe shortage if there's no rain for a month.
New roads that have sprung up in areas like Kolahalamedu, Vagamon, Kudamuruttimala and Illikalkallu also affected the water flow.
