THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An environment committee report, which was placed in the assembly last week, has found that Kozhikode district was facing indiscriminate sand mining, reclamation of wet lands and dumping of solid waste in public space, polluting residential neighbourhoods and water bodies.
The committee, headed by C P Mohammed, stated in its report that major rivers, including Korapuzha, were completely polluted. Mining on its banks has destroyed a major part of Korapuzha. Citing that a large number of fish species have died here, the committee has asked the government to look into the complaints against United Marine Export, a shrimp trading firm situated here.
"The flow of the river has been diverted with the construction of a bund and this has destroyed the river to a great extentand there have been complaints that this has destroyed the river to a great extent ," the report said.
The report has also found that the construction work adjacent to Poonnoor river has destroyed its bank.
On the waste disposal front, the district fared poorly. "The waste disposal plant at Njalianparambu can dispose only 60-65 tonne waste per day, while the district generates 150 tonne waste every day. The plant can only dispose organic waste, while the menace of plastic waste looms large. The foul smell at the plant has been suffocating the entire neighbourhood.
The rain water treatment plant that was installed here is yet to be operational,'' the report stated.
The committee said that the water bodies and lakes here were also facing extinction. "The 3.29 acre Naragarchira lake near Sarovaram park is a fresh water source, but has been reclaimed by a private individual, but . Though the revenue department has already made a report that the Nagarchikra lake has been reclaimed by a private individual,
no action has been taken yet. The corporation will need at least Rs 12 crore to begin the conservation work of the lake and the state should provide financial aid to protect this lake," the report pointed out.
The committee has found that the medical college has been dumping its waste water into a 56-year-old artificial pond. It has recommended urgent measures to prevent the foul water of the 40-acre pond from entering the neighbourhood. "The private and public hospitals operational in Kozhikode district should install their own solid waste disposal plants," suggested the report.
The committee has said that quarrying of hills and reclamation of wetlands should be stopped at once. "The state agencies should urgently ban and take action against private firms that throw meat wastes and effluents into the river. There should be better awareness among people in the neighbhourhood. They should intervene to put an end to these illegal practices. The district authorities should also come up with a status report on all environmental violations taking place here,'' the report said.
