The Hindu : Kerala News : GT station facing destruction

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 25, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

GT station facing destruction

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, MARCH 24. The Karavallikad hill in the Kottangal grama panchayat limits in Thiruvalla, identified as one of the 3,500 great trigonometrical (GT) stations in the country by the Survey of India, is reportedly facing demolition threat with the local body and other departments concerned giving licence to a private party to start a rock quarry-cum-granite crusher unit there disregarding widespread protests from the local people.

The civil work for the unit has already stated on a 48-acre plot bordering the Ponthanpuzha reserve forests.

The controversial site, which houses Karavallikad alias Avolimala, was identified as a GT station in the Great Trigonometrical Survey launched by the British surveyor William Lambton 202 years ago. GT stations are key locations identified by the Survey of India for geographical surveys for mapping purposes.

The Karavallikad hill has its base in the Ponthanpuzha reserve forests and the view of the cluster of villages beneath the rock-top is panoramic.

It is alleged that the Forest Department authorities in Kottayam are not keen to preserve the ecological balance and strategic importance of the area.

60th GT station

The Deputy Director of Survey here told The Hindu that Karavalikad had been enlisted as the 60th GT station by the Survey of India in Pathanamthitta district. According to him, the protection of the GT station is entrusted with the local tahsildar, who is supposed to submit periodic status reports to the Survey of India.

But the local revenue authorities appear to be ignorant of the strategic importance of these geographically sensitive areas.

The private party has already started bulldozing the hills. According to the project manager, Siby Sebastian, he has obtained no-objection certificates from the Mining and Geology Department, Pollution Control Board, Inspector of Factories and Boilers and the District Medical Officer, besides licence from the Union Department of Explosives. Also, the Kottangal grama panchayat has granted permission to set up the crusher unit.

Meanwhile, on a petition filed by an action council, the Kerala High Court has directed the appellate authority of the licensing bodies to pass appropriate orders after hearing the petitioner and the respondent.

The action council chairman, V.N. Gopinatha Pillai, has called upon the Government to take immediate steps to protect Karavallikad.

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