Conduct study of Ockhi impact on seawater, fishermen: House panel
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Assembly committee on environment has recommended a study into the impact of Cyclone Ockhi on coastal ecosystem, the livelihood of fishermen and seawater. It had also stressed the need for using local parlance used by fisherfolks before the agencies go ahead with the messages on cyclone and rain alerts. The committee had come out with the demands in its report on Cyclone Ockhi and the environmental impact it had on the coastal areas.
The panel noted as the alerts issued to fisherfolks were mainly in English is not giving desired results.
“The Ockhi disaster has underscored the need for setting up a mechanism that could compile the alerts provided by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Disaster Management Authority, Fisheries Department and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies,” observes the committee.
and is riddled with technical jargons it has not been yielding the desired results. The other major recommendation is regarding the conduct of an environmental impact study into the discharge of plastic wastes and other effluents into the seawater. The study should also cover unscientific construction activities along the coast belt.
The committee which takes a strong note of construction of groynes and seawall along the coast calls for the need to carry out an environmental impact study on the site before its construction. According to the committee, as unscientific construction of groynes and seawall leads to sea surge and pose hardships for fishermen to venture into the sea, such kind of study will help address such issues.
The due compliance of CRZ norms will also have to be adhered to during such constructions, reminds the committee. However, the committee in its report mentioned that the IMD cannot shrug off its responsibility of failing to provide a timely alert. It further adds that the stance of SDMA that it could act only upon official intimation needs to be revisited.
379 houses vacant
T’Puram: Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma said in the Assembly that 379 flats/houses allotted for tsunami victims were lying vacant. There are 8,762 flats/houses constructed in the state. According to the minister, 8,190 families were residing at such flats/houses, of which 22 were staying illegally. Such families will be removed and the flats will be allotted to eligible persons. An instruction has been given to the Revenue Department in this regard, the minister said. As per the data tabled at the Assembly, the illegal occupants were mostly at Kozhikode (20), followed by Alappuzha (2).