Kerala - Alappuzha   

Sudheeran demands action against encroachments

Staff Reporter

Congress district unit protests against encroachments on Vembanad Lake

ALAPPUZHA: The State Government should immediately order the Revenue Department to identify encroachments on backwaters and other water bodies in the State and take steps to evict encroachers, Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has said.

Inaugurating a meeting in protest against encroachments on Vembanad Lake, organised by the Alappuzha District Congress Committee at Ponnad in Mannancherry panchayat on Thursday, Mr. Sudheeran said though there was a law against encroachment on water bodies, it was being misinterpreted and circumvented by the wealthy and influential in the name of tourism projects. Mr. Sudheeran said it was the duty of the Government to take action against those who started resorts and other projects on encroached lands. He pointed out that a recent order of the Kerala High Court had asked the Government to take action against encroachers of water bodies.

He said the tourism industry needed to be encouraged but illegal activities should not be encouraged in the name of tourism.

Mr. Sudheeran said a river protection authority needed to be formed immediately with powers to protect all the 44 rivers in the State. In addition to that, river protection councils should be formed locally with the cooperation of local self-government institutions. He demanded that ecological activists be appointed in both bodies and power should not be vested completely with politicians.

The Congress leader said the Union Government had in principle agreed to implement a project for the preservation of Vembanad Lake under the National Lake Conservation Plan in 2003. He said the Union Government had forwarded a suggestion to the State Government to prepare a detailed project for the purpose and the Centre and State had to bear the cost of the project in the ratio of 70:30 respectively.

Mr. Sudheeran said the previous Government in the State had asked the State Pollution Control Board to prepare a detailed project. But there was no follow-up action on the issue, said Mr. Sudheeran and demanded that the LDF Government take initiative to get the project implemented.

Earlier, inaugurating a farmers' meeting organised by the Karshaka Congress district committee at Kuttanad, Mr. Sudheeran said the Government should finalise a `Save Kuttanad Project' to protect agricultural activities in Kuttanad.

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