KOCHI: Apaddy field today, gone tomorrow! This cycle seems to be repeating for the five acres of land at Kadavoor village at Paingottoor panchayat in Kothamangalam. In 2010, Kothamangalam tehsildar with the help of the police had converted a reclaimed plot of land into paddy field by removing the rubber saplings planted there. The action came following a directive issued by the Collector as per the Kerala High Court’s instruction. However, today no paddy field exists on the plot. Instead, a small forest of mahogany and mangium trees occupies the plot, thanks to the land conversion mafia.
When Express visited the area on May 17, it came across big trees such as jackfruit, coconut, mahogany, mangium, macaranga hypoleuca (Vatta Maram), areca nut and also nutmeg and cocoa plants. Deethi, agricultural officer of Paingottoor village confirms the fact in her RTI reply on May 10, 2017.
“The land has been converted. However, in the data bank it is still classified as paddy field. When I received a RTI query, I visited the area and submitted a detailed report to Muvattupuzha Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO). It is the RDO who has the authority to take further action in the issue. I understand that after 2010, no complaints were received at the office regarding conversion of the land,” said Deethi.
Anilkumar, Kadavoor village officer, who assumed charge eight months ago, said, “When I received a query under RTI last month seeking information about the present situation of the land, I visited the place. The area is almost converted. Paddy hasn’t been cultivated on the land after 2010. I prepared a detailed report and forwarded it to Kothamangalam tehsildar,” he said.
In his RTI reply given on May 5, he said according to the Basic Tax Register at the village office the area is still considered a paddy field.
Illegal conversion
For past 100 years, the residents here have been growing paddy on around 70 acres of land. Today, around five acres of land has become ‘converted land’. But not according to the government data bank. The bank still describes it as paddy field.
The area (Kadavoor village survey 786/1,2,3A) gained attention in 2010 when the then Ernakulam District Collector ordered removal of rubber saplings planted in the area following a Kerala High Court order(WP(C) 4233/2010 on March 23, 2010). That was a first of its kind action in the state.
Ecological imbalance
Residents say increased filling of paddy fields has led to a drop in the water table in the area. “Filling up a paddy field to develop a forest will create an imbalance in the ecosystem. Also the species of trees planted on the land are known to absorb huge amount of water,” said C J Mathew, a farmer. The residents also allege that the small canal on the side was also levelled.
When contacted Sabu Mathai, member, Paingottoor grama panchayat said the authorities have not taken the issue seriously. “We want the area to be maintained as a paddy field. Government records also indicate the same. But after the High Court order was implemented in 2010, nobody bothered to check in,” he said.
“Out of the total area, today paddy is being cultivated on only 5 to 8 acres of land. People in the area had started planting rubber trees after filling paddy fields since 2000. But I am the only one being targeted,” said Mathai Skaria, owner of a plot. He said, “Out of the one acre I own, only 77 per cent is paddy field. The rest is dry land.”
The act says
Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 aims to regulate the conversion and development of paddy fields and protect wetland areas in order to promote agricultural growth, ensure food security and sustain the ecological system in the state. Besides, it intends to conserve paddy and wetland and to restrict the conversion or reclamation thereof, in order to promote growth in the agriculture sector.
Green facts
Total paddy land area - 70 to 100 acres
‘Converted’ area - 3 to 5 acres
March 23, 2010 - High Court orders removal of rubber saplings
June 2, 2010 - District Collector orders removal of rubber saplings
Collector finds violation of section 3 of Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act