Kerala   

Silent Valley buffer zone will be protected

- Photo: H. Vibhu

Braving all odds: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthnandan visiting the Sairandri core area of the Silent Valley National Park on Sunday.

Silent Valley (Palakkad): Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that “the 148-sq. km buffer zone of the Silent Valley National Park will be made part and parcel of the 89.5-sq. km core area of the park.”

Talking to presspersons after visiting the Sairandri core area of the park, braving heavy rain and mist, here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said the entire core area and buffer zone area would be protected and no non-forestry activities would be allowed in the areas.

Replying to a question on the move of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to get environment clearance for the proposed Pathrakadavu hydro-electric project from the Central Forest and Environment Ministry, the Chief Minister said that once the area became buffer zone it would be protected along with the national park. He said that except for four small tribal settlements, the buffer zone was free from any human intervention.

He said Silent Valley was to be protected not only to preserve the rare flora and fauna but for its contribution to mankind in providing water and clean air. Silent Valley is the mother of Bharathapuzha which provides drinking water to the people of Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts, he said.

Later inaugurating the buffer zone at Salim Ali Nagar in Mannarkkad, the Chief Minister said the government would evict all encroachments from its forests and government land. The forest land that got alienated would be taken back. When the government was taking stern action against encroachers and the forest mafia, the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) was trying to raise the issue like the Ponmudi land deal. It was the former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the then Revenue Minister K.M. Mani who had amended the Forest Ordinance brought in by the LDF in 2000 to take back the ecologically fragile forest land and helped private estate owners possess estates in Ponmudi and other areas.

When the LDF government had taken stern action against them, the UDF was demanding the resignation of Forest Minister Benoy Viswom who exposed them in the Ponmudi land deal. The Government would investigate the role of the UDF in allowing private estate owners to annex large tracts of forest land using the loopholes in the amended Forest Ordinance.

The inaugural function was presided over by Mr. Viswom.

The Silent Valley website was inaugurated by Deputy Speaker Jose Baby and the Bhavani Forest Range Office by N.N. Krishnadas, MP.

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