Urbanisation, influx of pilgrims, fertilizer-intensive farming, and indiscriminate sand-mining have impacted on the water quality of Manimala river, a major source of drinking water in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.

A report published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, an international journal devoted to progress in the use of monitoring data in assessing environmental risks to man and environment, highlights the deterioration in water quality caused by human intervention, especially in the upper reaches of the Manimala river.

Total coliform count exceeds permissible limits: PCB

Investigations by the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) have revealed heavy pollution of wells at select locations in Ernakulam district.
The monitoring agency found that the total coliform (bacteria) count exceeded the permissible limits at various sites. The wells identified for the water quality monitoring programme were located at Vyttila, Edayar, Brahmapuram, Eloor and Kalamassery.

A study conducted by the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences has attributed the widespread incidence of jaundice in the district to a high level of faecal pollution present in drinking water.

March 13: Thanks to the apathy of the endowments department, devasthanam boards and local civic bodies, pilgrims take the ritual dips in highly polluted water at pilgrim centres and temple towns in the state.