PERIYAR RIVER POLLUTION MONITORING SYSTEM OPENED

The technology of industries should evolve to curb pollution of all kinds, said K.V. Thomas, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 24X7 Periyar River water quality monitoring station at Eloor on Sunday. The Minister said that though the country had strict pollution control laws, these were not enforced effectively. “If such laws are strictly enforced, most of the industrial units will have to shut down,” he said.

He said the local bodies along the banks of the river would also be held responsible for pollution as municipal solid waste was also being dumped into the river. Ministers C.N Balakrishnan and V.K Ebrahim Kunju, and PCB chairman K. Sajeevan also spoke on the occasion.The new system will continuously monitor the air and water quality on the banks of the Periyar around the industrial Eloor-Edayar industrial area. The results of the water quality from the Eloor-Edayar stretch of the river will be displayed live on the display board set up at FACT junction at Eloor. A monitoring station has also been set up at Methanam for the job, according to a communication from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board.

The Board has installed eight surveillance cameras along the rive banks to monitor changes in colour and turbidity parameters.