THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of families in Amboori panchayat are up in arms against a draft notification on creating eco-sensitive zones around the boundaries of the Neyyar and Peppara wildlife sanctuaries. The people are worried because the proposed zones cover residential areas and farmland that, according to them, do not pose any threat to the conservation of the sanctuaries. The proposed zone is 70.906 sq km in area with an extent of 0 to 2.72km from the boundaries of the sanctuaries.
On Monday, a dawn-to-dusk hartal organised in Amboori panchayat -- which has a population of about 25,000 -- was total. Vehicles kept off the road and traders voluntarily shut their shops in protest. The hartal call was made by an action council comprising leaders of political parties and religious institutions, and people from other walks of life.
“The notification, if implemented, will make life impossible for the residents here,” said Jacob Cheeramvelil, patron of the action council. “It proposes curbs on building houses or expanding them, road works and felling of trees. These activities would require permission from the forest department. The major crop here is rubber, which requires periodical felling and replantation. Imagine the plight of farmers who are left at the mercy of officials.”
Amboori panchayat vice-president Thomas Mangalasseri said the notification would affect ten of the 13 wards in the local body. “Ironically, only one ward, Thodumala, shares a land boundary with the forest. The Neyyar reservoir separates three of the wards from the forest and the rest of the wards have no boundary with the forest,” he said.
Thomas found fault with the satellite survey in which the green canopy of rubber plantations would have appeared as dense forests. “A field inspection would have helped the authorities understand that these are residential areas and farmlands that don’t pose any threat to the sanctuary,” he pointed out.
All hospitals, schools and major roads in the panchayat fall in the proposed zone, Thomas said. He cited an instance where forest department authorities denied permission to repair a concrete road in the Thodumala ward, inhabited by about 600 tribal families. There is also a fear the notification will stall the work on the Kumbichalkadavu bridge across the reservoir. The Rs 18-crore project aims to connect the tribal families residing on the other side of the reservoir with the mainland.
The protest will end only with the repealing of the notification, Thomas said. “This challenges the existence of poor farmers here. The next course of action will be decided at the council meeting on Wednesday,” he added.
Issued on March 25, the draft notification gives 60 days for the public to raise objections with the secretary, ministry of environment and forests. The residents of other panchayats, which would be affected by the notification, are also planning protests. They are Kallikkadu, Aryanad, Kuttichal and Vithura. Forest Minister A K Saseendran has convened a meeting of legislators from Aruvikkara and Parassala on April 8 to discuss the issue.
‘Left at mercy of officials’
The people are worried because the proposed zones cover residential areas and farmland that, according to them, do not pose any threat to the conservation of the sanctuaries.