Environmentalists indict government

Poet B. Sugathakumari releasing indictment of government over environmental issues. Prof. M. K. Prasad, Dr. V. S. Vijayan and Sridhar Radhakrishnan are also seen.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Parithasthithi Aikya Vedi has come out with an indictment of the government over harm done to the environment during the past five years.

 The Vedi noted in the document released in the presence of scientists and environmentalists here that elephant poaching had resumed in Kerala and the government was engaged in a cover-up operation.

Permission was granted to reclaim paddy fields and water bodies at Metral Kayal, Kadamakudi and elsewhere. The government and Kochi Corporations themselves reclaimed land at Mundanveli in Kochi. Paddy fields were also filled up for Metro project.

A tourism project was incorporated into Vizhijam port project without separate environmental clearance. The rehabilitation plan was not incorporated into the project.

It observed that all private holdings in possession of settlers and 70000 hectares of forests for which titles were issued and cardamom estates were excluded from ecologically sensitive zone in the Western Ghats.  About 20 per cent of the forest areas were excluded from report given to the Centre.

Report pertaining to joint verification of encroached forest land was missing and the government was issuing orders for regularisation of post-1977 encroachments. Permission was granted to cut trees on settlement areas.  Grasslands and sholas were destroyed for Veterinary University at Pookot in Wayanad district.

The task forces set up to evict encroachers in Munnar, Chinnakkanal and Pallivasal were rendered ineffective. Government aided fresh constructions in those areas.  Similarly, titles were issued for grasslands at Vagamon and illegal constructions were regularised. Permission was granted for operation of quarries and crushers in disregard to forest laws. Provisions of land reforms were undermined to facilitate operation of quarries. Sand mining was being allowed disregarding court directives.

Plantations were allowed to use five per cent of their land for tourism. Assurances given to the Assembly regarding Aranmula airport regarding withdrawal of notification of the area as industrial area were not kept.

Persons without sufficient qualifications were appointed to various bodies dealing with environmental protection. Officials who objected to safety norms for flats were transferred. Polluting unit was allowed to function at Kinfra Park at Kakkancherry in Malappuram district.