Since 1983, this is the first time that the river has dried up in most of its stretches. Its tributaries like the Kannadipuzha, Kalpathipuzha, Gayathripuzha and Thuthapuzha have also dried up, resulting in acute drinking water shortage in parts of Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. The non-implementation of the 18 major recommendations of the Expert Committee on Bharathapuzha constituted by the Kerala Government in 1994 has led to the present scenario. A River Authority was suggested to take steps to protect the river, involving the departments of Irrigation, Tourism, Forest, Water Transport and Revenue. It is alleged that Rs. 6 crores collected as tax on sand removed from the river is lying idle instead of being used to protect the river.
Environmentalists say that the court restrictions on sand removal are being violated.
The Kerala High Court recently imposed a ban on removal of sand from the Bharathapuzha. To check this most powerful lobby will be a Herculean task. The Bharathapuzha Samrakshana Samithy is running a campaign for the protection of the river and is asking every political party and candidate to work for saving this major river system. The secretary of the Committee, Mr. Indanur Gopi, told The Hindu that much water had flown down the river basin of Periyar, Chalakkudy and Bharathapuzha since the signing of the PAP agreement between Kerala and Tamil Nadu in 1958. The Kerala Government, of late, had realised that the major share of water from the three basins was going to Tamil Nadu because of the PAP agreement, he said.