Preserve and enhance Akkulam Lake’s capacity, urges Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad

Thiruvananthapuram: To mitigate urban disasters, Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad's (KSSP) district conference urged govt to protect Akkulam Lake and its surroundings while enhancing and maintaining its capacity.
The conference, held in Nedumangad over the past two days, also demanded that the forest department abandon its efforts to restore monoculture plantations in the district's eastern forest areas. According to them, Akkulam Lake area has decreased from 245 acres in the 1950s to 145 acres. It has been receiving large amounts of organic and inorganic waste. The water quality deteriorated and the ecosystem was disrupted. The carbon-nitrogen ratio increased significantly, promoting plant growth and obstructing navigation. Frequent urban flooding due to intense rainfall is exacerbating these issues. Considering all this, the KSSP called for the sustainable preservation of the lake.
It also maintained that the state govt should take over the renovation of the Kerala section of the interstate Anantha-Victoria-Marthandam (AVM) Canal. The AVM Canal, which runs through Kerala and Tamil Nadu, deteriorated due to pollution and encroachment. Renovating the canal would aid in the development of the proposed fishing harbour in Pozhiyoor and support tourism, fishing, commerce, irrigation, drinking water, travel and cargo transport. Therefore, the state needs to renovate the Kerala section of the canal, KSSP said.
The conference was aimed at implementing and discussing six successful sustainable waste management models and people's development alternatives, already executed in various parts of the state, across the district.