Periyar Riverkeeper aims to permanently stop the ongoing toxic
pollution of the River Periyar in Kerala. We act as a pressure
group to urge industries to come clean using advanced
Clean Production Technologies. We also maintain a
day-to-day operation of sampling river waters and
report any anomaly in water quality to 'The Court
of Public Opinion' through the mass media.
Furthermore, we work with individuals and communities
who live on other polluted rivers and lakes to
establish new riverkeeping campaigns.
one man, one dream, one mission a clean River Periyar
one man, one dream, one mission
A CLEAN RIVER
PERIYAR
ELOOREloor is a village located 14kms north of Kochi in the state of Kerala. The first Church was established in the area in 1876. It is considered a blessing that Sri Naranathu Swamy Temple, which is believed to have been built by the legendary ascetic Naranathu Bhranthan, is part of the village. These points have been brought out to prove a certain point - that people have lived in Eloor for centuries. One can taste DDT even in mallard duck eggs and in tender coconut water; apart from the fact that all the effluents from the factories ultimately end up in the River Periyar. The highest concentration of highly toxic substances can be found in the Kuzhikandom Thodu, a stream which flows through the heart of the Panchayat and finally joins with the rivers. About 100 families reside on either bank of this stream where people are suffering from various diseases directly linked with toxic substances. |
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Jose,
the Periyar Riverkeeper
was born on April 20, 1956 at Eloor. Jose and his family had depended on the River Periyar for generations for a living. His Father, late VM Jacob, and mother, late Margaret Jacob, both teachers, encouraged Jose to study. After studying Auto Engineering he took up several part-time jobs before dedicating all his energy towards an issue he believed demanded immediate attention – environment.
As an independent environmental activist Jose has been fighting against the contamination of the River Periyar and Human Rights issues since March 27, 1981. In 2002, he was appointed as the Riverkeeper of the once-magnificent Periyar in Kerala – Periyar by the Greenpeace. Jose worked with Greenpeace India for nine years and is the first Riverkeeper in Asia.
It was in the United States of America, where John Cornin was recognized as the first community appointed Riverkeeper for the Hudson River a post presently held by Alex Matheson.
Jose in Action
Jose received his training in Water Quality Monitoring from the Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun.
Working with 34 different environmental and human right organisations in the country, Jose is also a Campaigner with Friends of Tibet. He has conducted awareness programs across thousands of schools and colleges in the country including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He assists students from different states with various environmental and social projects.
He lives near the river Periyar with his family, that continues to support his activities for the betternment of society.
MISSION & VISION
The long-term mission of "Periyar Riverkeeper" is to stop the ongoing pollution of rivers, lakes, and other drinking water sources in India.
Objectives: Campaign, Communications & Developement
* Stop pollution on the River Periyar in a time-bound manner
* Establish similar river keeping systems on other Indian rivers, lakes and water sources
* Bear witness to acts of toxic dumping
* Develop the institution using a time-bound and self-sustaining model
Riverkeeper Actions
Scope of Action
Continue present activities on river Periyar to maintain the quality of the river Periyar. For the first one year of operations the office will be functioning at Eloor and will be relocated to a suitable place from the second year onwards.
The area of work of the organisation is proposed to be all over India. The Periyar Riverkeeper provides training for various river protection organisations and individuals.
Present Situation:
Everyday, nearly 15 crore liters of polluted water is being discharged into the holy River Periyar. The laboratory tests conducted in 2000 by Mannuthy Agricultural Research Laboratory and Veterinary Department, detected levels of acids and other chemicals in milk, blood, flesh and dung of the cattle of Eloor village – levels which were way beyond the permitted levels.
Moreover, chemical pollutants were also detected in the leaves and other parts of the plants here,- an area which was once the storehouse of many medicinal herbs. But now nearly 18 of these have become extinct. Butterflies, birds and animals which once found their habitat in this locality are no longer seen here.
Newly established chemical factories like "Merchem" pose a great threat to this area located on land belonging to the Panchayat, encroached on by the company. Factory units discharge highly toxic hydrogen sulphide gas and polluted effluents through the Kuzhikandom Thodu. A peculiar feature can be observed in the death rate of this Panchayat.
While nearly 32 people die of cardiac arrest per year and 19-20 people succumb to death due to cancer. The other death incidence are asthma - 19, rheumatism - 15, renal failure - 8 and meningitis - 8.
Present Situation at the River Peryiar
The people depend on the water being pumped from Aluva Water Works for their daily needs.
If this pumping is stopped for one single day, people will have
to fetch water from faraway places but most of these wells (nearly
89%) are contaminated due to pollution. From December to May, the
color of the Periyar water turns into thick yellow. It would seem as
if Periyar is celebrating "Holi". Sometimes its color is
Dark Tea Brown especially in the morning and it would be dark green in
the afternoon. I assumed office on last November 21 as a Riverkeeper
assigned by the Greenpeace. My analysis reveals that the
temperature of the river water is higher than the ambient temperature
on most days. The presence of chloride, fluoride, nitrate, phosphate and iron in the water is alarming.
Companies go on polluting the river as if it were their birthright. Where do we go now? We do not have an answer. Because our ignorance in many matters is being exploited by all. We are submitting before you all the facts and stories stated above. Do we just have to put up with this? You be the judge.
My storyRIVER PERIYAR IN MY MEMORY, by VJ JoseI still remember the flood of 1964. First water reached the courtyard of my house. The river overflowed and the soil from our compound eroded away completely in the turbulent flow. Gradually the water level increased. Utensils and other articles were floating in the flood water. The Chinese fishing net which we had put on the banks of the River Periyar collapsed in the strong wind and rain. It was later washed away by the river. We had to stay away from our house for one week. Vandiperiyar town when it leaves the forests and adds all the pesticides from tea plantations. It carries all the municipal waste on its way, then finally when it bifurcates at Aluva, one of them flows through Eloor, carrying the toxic waste from the factories to reach thw sea, as a poisoned river. Eloor is the 36th toxic hotspot in the world and is the third in India. Later all these poisons reach the people through the fish they eat or the food they consume. Fields on the banks of the Periyar used to be filled with sea water for six months out of a year. Shrimp rearing used to be carried out in these fields during this time. When sea water recedes, rice is cultivated for the next six months. |
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Riverkeeper doing sampling
Methodology
The Riverkeeper experience with Greenpeace will be utilised to develop community living by the banks of river Periyar towards river protection. Planned awareness programs will strategically target college students and the general public, influencing them to back key activities on the river. Water Quality Monitoring will continue on the river, training the community how to test the water.
A team of volunteers will come together to implement awareness programs. Another team will take up small projects to save local lakes, rivers and other water sources. The primary team will continue the present activities on the river Periyar for keeping water quality. More team building activities will be done to organize river clean-up projects on other rivers in Kerala and other states. Children's nature clubs will also be mobilized to save these natural sources.
Pollution
I would like to give you some examples of victims of pollution of Eloor area:
In the first house on the street, a lady dies of cancer, later her husband dies of asthma.
And in the third house, the couple do not have any children.
The fourth house has a mentally retarded child.
And in the sixth house, the wife is suffering from askin disease while the husband died of cancer.
In the eighth house, father is an asthma patient.
And in the ninth house, a child is physically handicapped.
The eleventh house had a lady who died of chronic asthma.
The twelfth house has a mentally retarded child.
In the thirteenth house, the lady is physically handicapped. Her husband died of lung cancer.
And in the sixteenth house, the couple has no children.
Moreover we find many deaths due to serious diseases next to my house. There are 21 suicide cases, 36 asthma and 11 cancer deaths. And there are about 100 cases of people suffering from skin diseases.
In Eloor, which was declared a toxic hotspot by Greenpeace, people continue to breath toxic gases emitted from various chemical
Industrial Pollution
industries. Factories are committing criminal offenses and there is no legal machinery to punish them. At the same time, one has to pay a fine of Rs 1000 if found smoking a cigarette in a public place. Will there be a law to take action against the factories that release tonnes of toxic chemicals?
In the Chlorine leak in 1975, many became unconscious and admitted to nearby hospitals. Many of the retired employees from the factories are now living and dying of various diseases. Many are dying young with various diseases. The obituary columns of in-house factory magazines continue to pay homage to employees who have died of cancer in the recent months.
Interview with Jose,
the Periyar Riverkeeper
Riverkeeper VJ Jose speaks about the pollution of the Periyar River.
News
‣ "A River Runs Through Him" (Creative Resistance) |
Jose with His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Join the Movement
More than your sympathy, the River Periyar needs your involvement to resolve the issue of pollution. Please contact Periyar Riverkeeper if you would like to get involved with the activities to save the dying river. The Riverkeeper appreciates all kind of support for his environment awareness programs in schools, colleges and educational institutions across the country.
Contact
Please feel free to contact us
Regd Office:
Periyar Riverkeeper
Remya, Ambedkar Road
Eloor South, Udyogamandal PO
Kochi 683 501, Kerala, India
mobile: |
+91.98 95 10 34 83 |
e-mail: |
info@periyarriverkeeper.org |
web: |
www.periyarriverkeeper.org |
blog: |
www.vjjoseriverkeeper.blogspot.com |
Periyar Riverkeeper (Regd No: ER-55/08) |
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Remya, Ambedkar Road |
moblie: |
+91.98 95 10 34 83 |
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Eloor South, Udyogamandal PO |
e-mail: |
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Kochi 683 501, Kerala, India |
web: |
www.periyarriverkeeper.org |
blog
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