The Hindu : Kerala News : Report warns against laying road to Pathrakadavu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Report warns against laying road to Pathrakadavu

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, JULY 18. The environment impact assessment report of the proposed Pathrakadavu hydroelectric project warns that the 7.5-km approach road to the dam site at Nilikkal would have serious repercussion on the natural forest system and wildlife of the Silent Valley National Park.

The report says that ``the development of the approach road to the proposed dam site will provide easy access to Silent Valley. At present, public mobility to Silent Valley is restricted with a single entry point at Mukkali.''

This warning goes against the claim of the Electricity Minister, Kadavoor Sivadasan, that Pathrakadavu is an `eco-friendly project' and will not have any adverse environmental impact on the Silent Valley forest.

According to the report, ``a trek path already exists from Nilikkal to Karappadam via Pathrakadavu, which is used by Forest Department personnel. Though very steep from Pathrakadavu, this is a shortcut in terms of access to the Silent Valley National Park. People from Palakkad and the neighbouring districts of Malappuram and Kozhikode often visit the Karappadam forest for recreational purposes. However, these unorganised tourism activities have so far been restricted to the Karappadam and Thathengalam forests with no tourists using the trek path from Pathrakadavu to Nilikkal. Development of an approach road to Pathrakadavu will, therefore, lead to extended influx of tourists to the Pathrakadavu zone and gradually to the national park boundary, which is within one km from the development site.''

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