Kerala: Heritage museum inaugurated

Pathanamthitta, May 14: The Heritage Museum cum Reference Library at Aranmula, a project jointly sponsored by the Centre and the United Nations Development Programme was inaugurated here.

Inaugurating the museum yesterday, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister T K A Nair warned against the extinction of river-basin civilisation including unique snake-boats and water carnivals owing to the destruction of riverine ecology.

He called upon the people's representatives to join hands in preventing this 'imminent' catastrophe. Mr Nair said lack of concerted action was the main reason behind the snail's pace implementation of 'Pampa Action Plan.' The museum was set up under the auspices of Palliyoda Seva Sangham, which organises the Aranmula Uthruttathy snake-boat festival annually.

The Centre's share of Rs 18 crore towards the first phase of Pampa Action Plan, sanctioned four years ago, was yet to be spent.

Mr Nair hoped that creation of environment awareness would give a fillip to the river conservation endeavours.

UNI