Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Riverbed at Maramon a `lost glory'

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

The grassland formation on the Pampa riverbed at Maramon, the traditional venue of the famous Maramon Convention.

PATHANAMTHITTA, FEB. 17. The once sand-rich riverbed of the Pampa at Maramon, the traditional venue of the 110-year-old Maramon Convention, is fast degrading into a clayey ground with thickets of grass.

The dust from the fine particles of clay causes bronchial and other health problems to the people visiting the area. The sand left in the deep stream, sandwitched between a granite wall and the western bank, is washed away by the strong currents during rains. The indiscriminate extraction of sand and unscientific construction activities are adding to the problem.

Many elderly people recall that the Maramon sand-bed has become a `lost glory.' ``Squatting on the fine sand, we used to enjoy the cool breeze and hear the discourses. There had never been any communal divide in those days. We used to attend the Hindu meet at the Cherukolpuzha sand-bed in the upstream and many Hindu brethren in the locality used to attend the Maramon meet,'' says A.J. Joseph of Anjilivelil Cheruthara.

Nikshepamali, a large extent of sand-bed in the downstream which was the venue of the annual fair in connection with the Aranmula temple festival, has been totally washed off, he says.

CWC studies

Studies conducted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) along the Arattupuzha-Aranmula-Maramon stretch of the Pampa show that the riverbed has gone down by four to six metres during the past 25 years, leading to alarming drinking water shortage owing to the drying up of wells, salinity intrusion and related environmental issues.

Even responsible socio-religious organisations have been found to be flouting river conservation laws by erecting temporary lavatories and eateries on the riverbed for religious conventions. The organisers of both the Maramon and Cherukolpuzha meets have admitted that they use earthmovers to level the ground and remove the grass thickets for the annual meets, notwithstanding the ban on the entry of such vehicles to the riverbed.

The flow of filth from Sabarimala, drainages carrying liquid waste from hospitals and dumping of waste from slaughter houses, chicken corners, hotels contribute to the pollution of the Pampa, considered the lifeline of Central Travancore and Kuttanad.

Many people residing on the riverbanks use the river water for household purposes. The outbreak of waterborne diseases such as jaundice in different parts of Central Travancore should be viewed in this context.

Many environmentalists see the need for a sand-mining holiday along the Cherukolpuzha-Arattupuzha stretch of the river so as to check the degradation and to facilitate replenishment of the sand-beds. Drastic measures should be initiated by the Government to give a fresh lease of life to the dying river, they say.

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Riverbed at Maramon a `lost glory'

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