Thiruvananthapuram: The river rejuvenation campaign which has given rebirth to several rivers in the state has reached Vamanapuram. The campaign that began from Varattar in central Kerala has already prompted missions to revive Karamana river and Killiyar in the capital district.The latest initiative is by Vamanapuram block panchayat has proposed to revive Vamanapuram river, which is depended by Attingal, Varkala and several adjoining panchayats for potable water. A meeting to discuss the project will be held at Green Auditorium Nandiyodu at 10 am on Wednesday. The meeting in which representatives of all stakeholders are expected to attend is likely to finetune the draft plan devised to reclaim the lost glory of Vamanapuram river.Vamanapuram MLA D K Murali said that phase-I of the project involves the clearing of waste and watershed activities in Palode stretch of the river. “Plan fund of Vamanapuram block panchayat will be utilized for phase-I activities. It will involve putting up fences and installation of CCTV cameras to prevent dumping of waste, awareness creation and the introduction of waste management measures in houses on the banks of the river,” he said.Murali said that a public convention would be held before launching the second phase of works. A survey, a scientific study, an awareness programmes etc... will be done based on inspection of experts. “The overall rejuvenation of the river will be a long-term project that could be launched with the support of 3-4 constituencies in the area. Expert opinion has to be taken for rejuvenation, watershed management and to alleviate pollution in the river,” he said.Kerala Water Authority will be one of the major beneficiaries of the project. The KWA has around 20 water supply schemes, which depend on Vamanapuram river as the major source of water. Unlike the Karamana or Neyyar, Vamanapuram lacks a dam and records a huge depletion of water level during summer. The last two summer seasons posed a lot of trouble for the KWA, which had to find alternate sources such as quarry water for distribution. The KWA had to stop pumping after the water level hit rock bottom at Moonnattumukku check dam.Though KWA has decided to launch various watershed activities, including construction of rainwater pits near the banks of the river, nothing materialized. The irrigation department too had a proposal to construct a dam across the river, which too, is gathering dust.Vamanapuram is one of the longest rivers in the district at 88 km. It originates from the Chemunjimotta hills on the Western Ghats and drains into Anchuthengu Lake.

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