Thiruvananthapuram: A panchayat president, who is directly responsible for conserving water bodies against contamination, has been booked for encroaching
Aruvikkara reservoir land and levelling the same using market waste.
Aruvikkara police have registered a case, considered one of the first under amended sections of Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, against
Vellanad Sasi, president of Vellanad grama panchayat, following a complaint by Kerala Water Authority (KWA).
The case against the local leader comes at a time when various local bodies have teamed up to cleanse Karamana river, Parvathy Puthanar and Killiyaar, the state capital’s lifelines.
As per section 37(4) of the act, any person depositing rubbish, filth or excreta in any distributary system or water course or allow to flow waste water into it or pollute the water in any other way shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend up to three years, or with fine, which may extend up to Rs two lakh, or with both.
Sasi has also been charged with sections of Indian Penal Code pertaining to negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and criminal trespass and relevant sections under Kerala Land Conservancy Act 1957.
Last Saturday, state police chief had instructed to strictly act against anyone who dumps waste into water bodies, invoking the amended provisions of the act.
KWA officials had intervened to stop the encroachment of reservoir land last week. As per the complaint, which has been sent to rural SP and district collector as well, Sasi deployed labourers and earthmover to fill the land and construct a private road along the reservoir land to make way to his private properties. On August 23, a similar attempt was thwarted by police and a stop memo was issued to Sasi by tahsildar.
“The plot is hardly 200 metres away from Aruvikkara reservoir on Karamana river. It has been levelled with market waste, and if it rains it would directly flow to the reservoir and contaminate the water source,” said a KWA official.
Water from Peppara dam, which lies upstream, is brought to Aruvikkara reservoir, from where water is supplied to the city. Every day, 300 mld water is pumped from Aruvikkara to meet the city’s drinking water requirements.
KWA officials said that a narrow footpath along the reservoir land, measuring around 48 hectares, was being converted into a wide road. “It is a clear case of encroachment and contamination of water source,” they pointed out.
Meanwhile, Sasi refuted the claims. “The road was made to provide connectivity to 7 houses. It is a panchayat project. Many other places were tarred earlier, but nobody had any complaint then,” he said. When asked about using market waste for levelling , he said that he had only collected waste dumped along water body using earthmover and used it for levelling the land.
