Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Survey to determine border

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government has asked the Survey Department to carry out a survey the forests on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border to identify the exact border between the two States, Forest and Water Resources Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told the Assembly during question hour on Thursday.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that in many parts of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the exact dividing lines between the two States were quite vague. This was causing problems in forest administration and prevention of encroachments from the other side of the border in some places, he said.

The Minister said that Kerala's forest cover was shrinking and that by 2003 estimate, the State's forest area was 11,768.4427 square kilometres. The Forest Department had received 305 acres of land at Kambakkallu in Idukki district in exchange for land given to the Travancore Devaswom Board for the development of the percincts of the Sabarimala temple. To this would be added the land to be given in lieu of forest land being used for the Palakappandi irrigation project in Palakkad district, he added.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said the Subject Committee of the Assembly could not find any diversion of water from the Mekkara Dam by Tamil Nadu and assured the House that a close watch was being maintained in the area. He informed the House that the Government had received some reports about encroachments from Tamil Nadu side at Kinnakkara on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. He also offered to look into complaints that there was encroachments into the Kannavam forests in Kannur district.

Plea on KIP

Replying to another set of questions, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the State Government had requested the Centre to include the Kallada Irrigation Project (KIP) under the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) and sought Rs.149 crores as long-term assistance. He hoped that the Centre would concede the State's request. The Government had also submitted to the Centre a Rs.85.43-crore Dam Repair and Disaster Management Programme for financial support, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Opposition stages walkout over death of detainee
Railways for more trains from various cities to State
Second phase of Kochuveli terminal to be expedited
Survey to determine border
High Court stays decision to terminate affiliation of college
Attack on student triggers protest
Call for action plan to protect rivers
Stringent norms for drugs purchase
Medha Patkar to arrive tomorrow
Fire in school lab causes scare
968 get allotment
A heady affair
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu