JOIN USStrict action favoured against industries polluting Arkavathi, Kumudvathi
The Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), in its final report on the revival of Arkavathi, Kumudvathi river courses and the Tippagondanahalli (TG Halli) reservoir, has recommended the formation of a multi-institutional body.
In the interim report, the EMPRI had said that river courses and the reservoir areas come under various departments and institutions which has led to a lack of coordination between them. This has, at times, worked at cross purposes.
The EMPRI has said stringent action should be taken against industries discharging effluents into the river with strict monitoring and enforcement protocols in place.
The report says there is lack of reliable information with regard to the source of water used by industries and disposal of waste water. So, the institute has recommended that the industries should contribute towards the treatment of effluents and establishing common effluent treatment plants or alternative water-efficient technologies as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
The EMPRI has said that the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board can be asked to prepare a detailed project proposal in consultation with local industries on the possibility of reusing and recycling water.
The report recommends the installation of gross pollution traps in stormwater drains (SWDs) to trap litter, debris and coarse sediments so as to preserve and maintain SWDs. The report suggests adoption of DEWATS (Decentralised Waste Water Treatment System) as a sustainable alternative for waste water disposal by a large number of villages just around the river courses and catchment area. This way, the water can be reused for non-potable purposes.
Following the Karnataka High Court directions, the institute has prepared a comprehensive report in three volumes about the present-day status of the two river courses, encroachment and pollution with regard to the TG Halli reservoir catchment area.
Dr Ritu Kakkar, director general, EMPRI, told Deccan Herald that 16 persons from the institute worked to prepare the interim and final reports. She said that the State government granted funds to conduct the study and the institute spent close to Rs 20 lakh in travelling, collecting samples, testing and preparing the report.
“The recommendations have to be implemented at the earliest. If the government delays further, there are chances of the rivers dying which can cause irreversible damage to the environment,” Kakkar said.