Activists seek curb on festival waste dumping in Keralam’s rivers

A group of cultural activists has urged Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan to take steps
to prevent the dumping of idols and other debris into rivers and wetlands in the name
of religious rituals and festivals, warning that the practice threatens drinking-water
sources and ecologically sensitive areas.

In the statement, the group said that rivers and wetlands were not only natural
resources but also vital sources of drinking water and part of the State’s cultural
heritage. Several villages depend on river-based drinking-water projects, it said,
making protection of these water bodies crucial for future generations.

The activists alleged that large quantities of artificial idols and other waste materials
continued to be deposited in public water sources during religious festivals despite
laws prohibiting such pollution, which also amounts to an encroachment on the
freedom and rights guaranteed to citizens by the Constitution, as well as on the
protection of public property. They further said the practice posed a serious risk in a
State already grappling with water scarcity.

Citing a solo protest by Giridharan Ramanathapuram in Palakkad, the group called
for stricter enforcement of existing laws and a ban on large-scale dumping in rivers
and wetlands during religious festivals.

The statement was signed by cultural figures including Kureepuzha Sreekumar, K.
Satchidanandan, Satheesh Koyilathu, K. Sahadevan, Dr S. Faizi, among others.