: The Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS), an eco group, has urged the government to abandon the Pampa-Achencoil-Vaipar Link Project (PAVLP) aimed at diversion of water from the west-flowing Kerala rivers Pampa and Achencoil to the Vaipar river in Tamil Nadu, as it would lead to climate change over a period of time.

Talking to The Hindu on Monday, PPS general secretary N.K.. Sukumaran Nair said the scientific community had alerted the government on the alarming environmental issues in the event of implementing the various river-linking projects proposed in the National River Linking Programme.

He said a group of scientists attached to premier research institutions in the country had cautioned the government against the environmental consequences of the reduced runoff from rivers targeted by the interlinking programme. Experts were of the view that the reduced runoff from the rivers could affect the monsoon rainfall.