Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘Tourism lobby distorting facts’

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: A workshop organised by Forum Kerala, a collective of NGOs for developmental intervention, has urged the Government to set up a people’s commission to study the impact of the tourism sector on Kerala in view of the increasing encroachments reported from various parts of the State.

A resolution adopted by the workshop called on the Government to scrap the move to replace the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms with a Coastal Zone Management (CZM) strategy. Addressing the workshop, T.T. Sreekumar of the Singapore Technical University said the tourism lobby in Kerala was distorting facts to secure Government concessions. Speakers at the workshop said the unregulated and unsustainable development of the tourism sector had led to appropriation of scarce natural resources. They called on the Tourism Department to desisit from the move to convert Munnar into a Special Tourism Zone and appoint foreign consultants. Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation State president T. Peter alleged that the proposed coastal management strategy was aimed at helping the tourism and industry lobbies. The workshop also appealed to the Ministry of Environment to withdraw the Environment Impact Assessment notification 2006. The discussions were organised by NGOs including Kabani, Trivandrum Social Service Society, Gaya and People’s Watch.

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