As Pampa runs shallow, the venerable tradition of Aranmula faces uncertain days

File Image | Photo credit: LEJU KAMAL

With the Pampa shrinking by the day after weeks of below-normal rains, concerns are mounting about the smooth running of the centuries-old vallasadya at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple. The receding river has left several stretches of the Pampa too shallow to navigate the iconic palliyodams (snake boats). Palliyoda Seva Sanghom (PSS), the apex body representing the 52 snake boats, now fears that if the river is not replenished soon, this year’s vallasadya season and the water festival at Uthrittathi could be affected.

With the water level receding, rowers are now forced to stop their boats mid-way, wade through knee-deep water and pull the craft through shallow sections. There are also concerns that repeated scraping of ships against the sandy bed could damage their wooden hulls. “The water level is relatively satisfactory up to Anjilimoodu bridge, but beyond that paliodams have to be dragged across the riverbed. The situation will improve only if there are some showers in the region in the coming days,” said a PSS official.

If the drought continues, the river is expected to recede further, casting a shadow over the Uthrittathi water festival scheduled for August 30. The sandbanks have become an annual obstacle for the palliyodams despite repeated desilting drives at a cost of several crores of rupees. Heavy deposits of silt and sand continue to choke key stretches of the river, including Nikshepamali, Ambalakkadavu and Sathrakkadavu, making navigation difficult. The Irrigation Department has identified the worst affected sections where desilting operations are now underway. However, the PSS believes that the exercise will offer only limited relief in the absence of significant rainfall.

Adding to their worries, the usual option of releasing water from the Maniyar Dam under the Pampa Irrigation Project to increase water flow is unavailable this year as the reservoir has been drained for repairs. Also, the storage in Moozhiyar dam remains low as the hydel station is not working at full capacity while the inflows from the main tributaries of the river like Azhutha, Kakkattar and Kallar have also reduced. “Releasing water from reservoirs to facilitate the plant will not work this time as the stock in all major dams is well below the required levels,” said a district administration official.

Published – 28 Jul 2026 19:50 IST