The sixth phase of project development and management (CWRDM), has reaffirmed the fears that most downstream rivers are bacterially and chemically contaminated. “Bacteriological contamination is one of the major water quality problems of rivers in the state and it is more so in their lower reaches. Discharge of untreated municipal sewage into rivers results in faecal contamination of rivers. Upstream rivers have fair water quality, which means that they are occasionally threatened. Downstream rivers, mostly in south Kerala, showed marginal water quality, which indicate that they are frequently threatened,” said P S Harikumar, a CWRDM scientist who was part of the study. He said rivers near pilgrim stations, mainly Pampa, indicated bacte riological and organic contamination. The sixth phase of the project -water quality status of Kuppam, Karuvannur, Manimala, Kavvayi, Nileswar and Ramapuram river basins -was led by Harikumar, M Shiji and K Madhavan. All these rivers showed high chemical pollution, E.coli and faecal streptococcal bacteria in its surface and ground water. The water in these rivers cannot be used for drinking without conventional treatment and disinfection.

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