The Hindu : Kerala News : Need to enforce land zoning

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 08, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Need to enforce land zoning

There seems to be new awareness among the public of the need to strengthen agriculture and protect farm lands. At the same time, land has to be made available for development projects. How do we achieve both without one impinging on the other? Our readers respond:

Need for balance

Development projects make the road map to prosperity. Agricultural activity and farm lands are essential for human sustenance. However, striking a balance between promoting developmental projects and protecting farm lands appears to be "the most impossible job" the State faces.

The Singur issue illustrates a poignant instance of developmental activity impinging on farm lands. The West Bengal Government is trying to give the Tatas nearly 1,000 acres of prime land, cultivable four times a year and 30 km away from Kolkata, to locate a car manufacturing industry when land is available 150 km away from the city. This is irrational and unwarranted.

In Kerala, most of the land is ideal for farming. A manufacturing unit can be located at a suitable location without asphyxiating farm lands. Adequate transport infrastructure can then be put in place to connect the manufacturing centre to the source of raw materials and the marketing facilities.

N. Sadasivan Pillai
Kollam

Land zoning essential

Land in the State is a very valuable and rare commodity. Cultivable land, land with water sources, and fertile soil should not be used for industrial purposes. We always use farm land for other purposes, which is a national waste and crime.

Another reason for so much of hue and cry over land acquisition for development projects is because of the low compensation given to the landowners.

Land that can be developed by other means, for instance, land that is easily approached by road, should not be acquired, as it would develop even without any investment from public funds and will generate employment in natural course.

Another important aspect is the ecological problem. If land is acquired for a project, a lot of construction activity takes place and the water balance is lost. All natural springs and perennial water sources are destroyed. Therefore, land with water sources should not be acquired for projects.

Fertile land should be set apart for farming, which is a must for any country. Being an agricultural economy, we should leave fertile land for agriculture and habitation.

M.K. Kumaran
Thiruvananthapuram

Implement plans

In many places in the State, agriculture has become a story of the past. The shift from agriculture is generally attributed to higher costs because of higher wages, increase in prices of fertilizers and pesticides and so on. Paddy fields are uncultivated or are reclaimed for purposes such as housing or commercial establishments. Since reclaimed paddy fields ready for housing fetch a higher price for the seller, this has become an incentive. The high population density and migration from rural to urban areas has led to increasing demand for land.

The Government should take measures to avoid such changes. Proper land use zoning and long-term planning should be carried out. Another important aspect is the strict implementation of such plans, with heavy fines and even imprisonment for defaulters. Local self-government institutions such as panchayats, village offices and agriculture offices should be vigilant about such issues and should work to bring to light any violations. Existing laws should be modified and if necessary, new rules and regulations passed to protect the agriculture sector.

The Government should also provide incentives to farmers and farm labourers and encourage agriculture at all costs. New farmer friendly finance should be made available to encourage agriculture. Agriculture-related research institutions should come up with extension activities to bring lab results to the field. Public awareness of the importance of agriculture should be increased and new incentives put in place to attract the younger generation to agriculture.

On the development front, to meet the increasing demand for housing, high-rises should be constructed.

Renjan Mathew Varghese
State Director, WWF - India
Thiruvananthapuram

Reconcile the needs

The need for housing in the State is great. Since land is not easily available, people construct houses on reclaimed agricultural land.

Setting up an industry requires facilities such as water, electricity and transport, but in Kerala where the need for housing is great, these facilities are lacking.

The Government should devise plans to reconcile these two needs - agriculture and industry.

To eliminate any conflict while acquiring land for an industry, a new approach is called for.

In case the land is used for agriculture, the number of people employed on the land and the type of cultivation - food grains or commercial crops - should be assessed. Full public participation is called for. So, all the affected parties should be involved in discussions on the issue. Proper rehabilitation for all should be arranged as also employment for the people expected to be displaced, according to their qualification and utility to the industry.

This approach will eliminate all disagreements.

P.M.G. Pillai
Thiruvalla

Tap wasteland

Land acquisition for development projects is a problem. And in a State like Kerala, it is acute. There is a consensus that prime agricultural should not be acquired. So the available wasteland and land which is not used for any productive purpose should be identified. The area required should be reduced. The building and factory design with high-rises could help. The Government should have a good policy to deal with displacement, compensation and rehabilitation. Making the displaced persons stakeholders in the upcoming projects is a good solution.

A. Jacob Sahayam
Thiruvananthapuram

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