Even when the UDF government is all for preserving the ponds and wetlands in the state, Deputy Speaker and people’s representative from Kattakkada Assembly constituency N Sakthan is all for the conversion of a traditional pond in his constituency into a swimming pool.
Stating that agitations against the conversion of a pond into a swimming pool in Pallichal Panchayat were politically motivated, he told Express that the conversion would help in the development of the area.
He also said that the recommendation for converting the pond into a swimming pool was forwarded through him.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, last March, had proclaimed that his government would give priority to the preservation of ponds and a project would be devised to protect the water sources. He had said that the government was going ahead with the renovation of ponds as the State was experiencing a drought-like situation despite receiving good rainfall.
When asked him if the conversion would not be against the policy of the government, which stood for preserving the traditional ponds, Sakthan said Pallichal Panchayat had around 40 ponds and the area where the swimming pool is proposed has two ponds.
On the protestors’ allegation that the conversion would affect the water table and lead to scarcity of potable water in the area, he said that a project has been envisaged at a cost of Rs 38 crore for providing drinking water to Palllichal and the adjoining Vilappil Panchayat. ‘’The potable water issue in the area will be looked into,’’ Sakthan said.
‘’The people living around the pond are not against the conversion. The agitation is politically motivated and certain people who are against development are behind it,’’ he said. Sakthan also said that the proposed swimming pool would be the first of its kind in Neyyatinkara Taluk.
Though the Deputy Speaker claimed that the swimming pool would lead to development of the area, he was silent when asked about the environmental impact.
