The Hindu : Front Page : Silent Valley buffer zone fails to get Cabinet nod

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 28, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Silent Valley buffer zone fails to get Cabinet nod

Roy Mathew

Proposal for conservation reserve for Vembanad Lake shelved after Ministers' opposition

graphics ki28silent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department's proposals for formation of a buffer zone for the Silent Valley National Park and declaration of a small conservation reserve in Vembanad Lake have failed to get Cabinet nod.

The proposal for the buffer zone was one of the earliest announcements of Minister for Forests Benoy Viswom on assuming office. It has also been mentioned in the draft forest policy.

Funds were earmarked for the zone in the latest State budget. However, Minister for Electricity A.K. Balan shot down the proposal on the ground that it would affect the proposed Pathrakadavu project.

Mr. Balan's argument is that the Kerala State Electricity Board had spent about Rs.22 lakh on environmental impact assessment of the project, and the study had found that the project would not affect the valley.

However, the Forest Department as well as experts differ. According to the department, the surrounding areas of the park are subject to severe disturbances and destruction by ganja cultivators, poachers and illicit brewers. They pose a constant threat to the integrity of the park. Better management of the area under a management plan is called for to absorb degrading influences on the park. The proposed buffer zone was to cover148 sq km of area in the Mannarkkad and Nilambur South forest divisions adjoining the park. Inclusion of more areas from the Attappady reserve forest was also mooted. However, sanctuary status was not proposed for the buffer. Despite this, a decision on the proposal stands deferred. The park is only 89.52 sq km in area, and it was not constituted considering the natural boundaries. The biodiversity value of the forests extends beyond the present boundaries.

Its size is not sufficient to ensure long-term survival of species. However, this aspect is being continuously ignored by the administration for undertaking various activities in the proposed buffer area.

Vembanad reserve

The proposal for the Vembanad conservation reserve had been placed twice before the Cabinet. The Cabinet rejected the proposals with Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran and most other Ministers opposing the move. The Kurmarakom panchayat had passed a special resolution in support of the proposal.

The neighbouring panchayats of Muhamma, Thanneermukkom and Vechur were also supportive of the proposal. But the Cabinet would not listen to local aspirations for conservation of the backwaters. The proposed reserve was to cover about 3 sq km of tropical wetlands from Kumarakom to Thannermukkom, including Pathiramanal Island.

The area is a habitat of mangroves and many varieties of waterfowls and other fauna, including migratory birds.

The region is getting degraded owing to poverty of the people inhabiting the area, unhealthy tourism practices and effluents from factories. The conservation of the area was to be taken up with public participation, with privately owned areas being treated as community reserve.

The proposal aimed at improving the biodiversity, including fish wealth, in the area as well as the health status of the people.

The proposal met with opposition despite the fact that the reserve would be only 0.27 per cent of the area of the lake. More than this area of the lake had been encroached upon.

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

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section