Dry riverbed, dead fish greet devotees in Kollur

The almost dry riverbed of Sauparnika river with dead fish paints a grim picture of a dying river ecosystem in Kollur, a temple town.

With drop in water-levels, the river ecosystem turned hostile to fish. The increase in temperature of the water, dip in oxygen level and pollution had resulted in the death of many fish species in the river.

The sewage and waste water discharge from the buildings had also been entering the river.

With the river running dry along with increasing pollution it meant certain death for fish and other aquatic species.

Dead fish floating in the river have become a common sight for the residents.

Alarmed by the developments, local youth had begun to oppose the release of sewage and waste water into the river for the past few years. The youth recollected that when Krishna Prasad Adyantaya was the president of temple administrative committee, Nada ITI College students and members of youth associations had carried out a cleanliness drive to clean the river.

“No such initiatives had been taken to clean the river since then,” residents lamented.

Social activist Harish Tholar Kollur said the absence of pre-monsoon showers had resulted in drastic dip in the water-level in the river. The drop in water-level however was not the reason for the death of fish species in the river. Pollution, however, was mainly responsible for the death of fish. The district administration and government should initiate strict measures to prevent pollution of the river, he stressed.

With no options left Kollur Mookambika Temple had engaged tankers to supply water for cleaning, cooking meals in the temple and to meet the needs of devotees staying in lodgings.

The devotees visiting Kollur temple have a special belief in River Sauparnika, which flows from the Kodachadri hilly ranges of Western Ghats. The devotees, led with a strong belief that the river has
medicinal properties to cure skin ailment, take a dip in Agnitheertham Kashitheertha and River Sauparnika in Kollur.

Now, devotees who make a beeline to take a dip are greeted by the sight of dead fish and dry river bed with puddles of dirty water.