Kerala - Alappuzha   

Lakes to be preserved

Staff Reporter

Incursions to be curbed: Isaac

ALAPPUZHA: The State Government views encroachments on Vembanad Lake as a serious offence and will take immediate steps to clear them, Minister for Finance T.M. Thomas Isaac said here on Sunday.

He was speaking to The Hindu after visiting Ponnad area in Mannancherry panchayat in the district, where the director of an information technology company is accused to have encroached upon 1.2 hectares of the lake.

Mr. Isaac said there was encroachment and that would not be allowed. It was not confined to Ponnad.

A large number of private resorts in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts by the side of the lake had encroached upon vast areas of it by erecting pillars on the waters adjoining their land and fencing them. The Minister said many of the resorts were found to have blocked pathways to lakes used by fishermen, denying them and other local people access to the waters.

Some of the resorts had blocked small canals by the side of their properties. He said such activities were creating tension in several places. Though the Government was all for the development of tourism industry, it would not allow anybody to damage the ecosystem.

Regarding the allegation of encroachment at Ponnad, he said it was evident, and the district authorities had removed the pillars erected by the encroacher.

Mr. Isaac said claims made by a majority of persons who had encroached upon the lake that they had title deeds for the part of the lake in their possession, were false.

The revenue authorities would be asked to verify such claims.

Mr. Isaac said Minister for Revenue K.P. Rajendran would inspect the part of the lake where encroachments had been reported.

The Minister promised swift action against the encroachers.

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