Sabarimala has started yielding positive results with the shifting of the pilgrims’ base camp to Nilackal during the just-concluded pilgrim season. At least, this is what a study conducted by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) indicates.
The study report submitted to the government by PCB environmental engineer Alexander George said that the faecal coliform count in the Pampa waters had come down drastically to 56,000 per 100 ml of water on the last day of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season compared to its previous year’s count of 4,00,000.
However, the coliform count had gone up to 60,500 on the last day of the Makaravilaku pilgrim season on January 19 due to drastic depletion of the water level in the Pampa.
Interestingly, the faecal coliform count in the Pampa-Triveni and in the downstream of Njunangar stream was only 1,600 and 1,400 respectively on November 30, 2018. This had gone up to 42,000 and 60,500 by the last day of the pilgrim season in January.
According to Mr, George, denial of vehicle parking facility at Pampa-Triveni, Pampa-hilltop and Chakkupalam were positive steps leading to lesser pollution of the Pampa. The Nilackal-Pampa forest route too was comparatively clean as private vehicles were not allowed beyond Nilackal.
The report said that the working of the modern sewage treatment plant (STP) at the Sannidhanam was satisfactory. It also lauded the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for properly maintaining the sewage network system.
‘‘The quality of water in the Njunangar stream at the Sannidhanam was far better than that of the previous pilgrim season. However, it was found highly polluted when it reached Pampa. This might have been due to the flow of liquid waste from the shops and hotels on the Njunangar banks and due to the stream flow obstructions at Cheriyanavattom,’’ the report said.
Mr. George said disposal of food waste had been a problem as it attracted wild animals to the area on many occasions. Absence of biomedical waste disposal facility at the hospitals and other healthcare centres was another problem to be addressed at the earliest, he said.
He said capacity augmentation of the STP at Pampa to 10 mld capacity and setting up of another 10 mld STP at Nilackal had become a necessity. Mr. George said permanent toilet complexes were a better option than bio-toilets at Nilackal and Pampa to check open defecation.