Suresh Gopi plans 'Save Pamba' drive

Chennai: Southern stars Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi and Suresh Gopi may come together on the small screen to save the holy river Pamba from pollution, if the Malayalam actor's plan for a awareness campaign video works out.
Kerala's third largest river that flows through the foothills of Sabarimala is facing a severe threat from pilgrims who wash and throw clothes in the waters believing it would rid them of their sins.
Gopi, who was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP, told TOI that he was reviving an old dream of his. "The campaign will be short takes of top stars in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam asking people not to throw clothes into Pamba river, which is a prime source of water for people living downstream till Alleppey," he said. "If celebrities appeal, at least 80% of devotees would listen."
Among Gopi's wishlist are Tamil stars Rajanikanth, Kamal Hasaan, Surya and Vijay, Telugu film actors Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna, besides Kannada and Malayalam actors. "I wanted to do this in 2014, but it did not take off. I hope this time it does," he said. He has fixed a September deadline for the campaign, ahead of the Sabarimala pilgrim season that begins in November.
Calling Pamba the Ganges of the south, the actor said he had presented the idea to a team of officials from the Central Water Commission (CWC) which visited Kerala to study the status of Pamba. "The Centre and the state governments should be involved in the public awareness campaign. I will approaching the Kerala government and meet the devaswom minister," Gopi said, expressing confidence that the stars and technical staff will chip in.
About 35 million devotees, mostly from the five southern states, visit the fame Lord Ayyappa temple during the 60-day pilgrimage between November 15 and January 15. A holy dip in the Pamba is an integral part of the pilgrimage.
Kerala-based NGO Pampa Parirakshana Samithy general secretary N K Sukumaran said the coliform bacteria (found in faeces) count in the river reaches 5 lakh/ 100ml during the peak pilgrimage season.