KOCHI: Not only has the construction of the 1.2-km long fencing along the Idacholayaar river at Anakulam raised concerns among green activists and tribals, it has also thrown up uncomfortable questions regarding the status of encroachments in the area.
While the actual boundary of the Kuttampuzha forest range is along the Anakulam-Valiyaparakutty Road, the fence is being erected along the Idacholayaar river leaving vast tracts of forest land.Green activists say around 10 houses and a tourist resort are located between the new fencing boundary and the main road. Cases registered by the Kuttampuzha range forest authorities against encroachers are sub-judice and the new fencing will help landowners claim legal sanctity for the encroachments. Refuting allegations that Mankulam DFO has no territorial jurisdiction over Anakulam, which falls under the Malayattoor division, Kuttampuzha range officer S Rajan said there was no difference of opinion between the two divisions and the work was being executed with the consent of the Malayattoor division. He admitted some cases related to encroachments were pending before the court.
“The fencing is a government project and we have no objection to it. We have given our consent,” he said.
Prakriti Samrakshana Vedi chairman M N Jayachandran said the fencing boundary along Idacholayaar will weaken the cases against encroachers.“The Malayattoor division has registered eight cases and charged two for encroachments in the area. The fencing should be done along the forest boundary. But here, they have chosen to do it along the river bank. This will weaken the encroachment cases. We have decided to approach the court and challenge the decision,” he said.
Activist Harish Vasudevan has submitted a petition to Forest Minister K Raju demanding the fencing work be stopped immediately. “The fencing work is being done in violation of the Supreme Court order to evict encroachments after January 1, 1977. The new crash guard fencing erected on concrete pillars will eventually become the forest border and the encroachments on forest land located between the Anakulam-Valiyaparakutty Road and the fencing will get legalised,” he said.
Idukki District Environment Assessment Committee member Shaju Thomas said the fencing was not needed at all. “Anakulam was famous for elephant revelry even during the British rule. British officers used to stay in tree houses built near Anakulam to enjoy the revelry of elephants at night. The elephants here have never been aggressive and Anakulam has been cited as an example of man-animal harmony,” he said.
“In the 1980s, we used to visit Anakulam on trucks transporting canes. There was no human settlement near Anakulam Oru and people from nearby villages used to wash their clothes in Idacholayaar in the day. There is no need for fencing at Anakulam. The authorities should consider the allegations of ulterior motives,” he said.