ALUVA: The formation of a river authority with statutory powers has been approved in principle by the government, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Sunday. He was inaugurating a convention to protect the Periyar organised by the Environmental Protection Council. The draft for the river authority has been forwarded to the Law Department. The Chief Minister assured that the suggestion of V D Satheesan MLA, that the draft should be finalised only after a public hearing with people including, environmentalists and scientists, would be considered. Satheesan said that usually laws were drafted by the government officials without consulting the affected parties.He said that the Periyar River Authority would be introduced immediately. Similar authorities would be launched in Pampa and Bharathapuzha rivers also. Other rivers would be considered in a phased manner, he said.Kerala is a state blessed with 44 rivers and large number of lakes. But they have became highly polluted. Encroachments and illegal sand mining are other major problems leading to the extinction of the rivers and lakes in the state. “It is high time the government took measures to save the rivers. The government is committed to bring down the cost of river sand. It had introduced certain restrictions on sand mining but the sand mafia had sabotaged everything, Chandy added. Environmental Protection Council president C M Joy presided over the meet. Ministers V K Ebrahimkunju and K Babu delivered keynote addresses. Adwaithasramam Madathipathi Swamy Sivaswaroopananda, MPs K P Dhanapalan and P Rajeev, former minister Benoy Viswom and Jose Thettayil MLA, Anwar Sadath MLA and district panchayat president Eldhose Kunnappally spoke.
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