Kerala - Palakkad   

Move to include buffer zone in Silent Valley

PALAKKAD: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the government will consider the demand to make the recently declared 148 sq km buffer zone of the Silent Valley National Park part of the park to provide full protection for this unique tropical rainforest.

Talking to The Hindu here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that after his visit to the Silent Valley National Park on September 23 to declare the buffer zone, there were numerous demands from nature lovers and other organisations to make the buffer zone part of the national park so that non-forestry activities could be banned in the area.

“Such a decision is required to enlarge the area of the national park of just 89.5 sq km. If the 148-sq km buffer zone is also added to the national park, it will have a total area of 237.5 sq km,” Mr. Achuthanandan said.

He said that since the government was for protecting the Silent Valley from any interference, the demand to make the buffer zone part of the national park would be considered soon.

He said that the government would recommend to the Central government to include the buffer zone part of the Silent Valley National Park.

He said that the protection of the entire Silent Valley forest was of paramount importance because it would not only protect the rare flora and fauna there but also provide water to the Bharatapuzha, the main source of drinking and irrigation water of the people of Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts.

The Chief Minister said that the official correspondence and other works on setting up the Integrated Railway Coach Factory and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) were going on and special officers for coordinating the work with various departments of the Central and State governments were being appointed.

He said that he would pursue the matter with the Railway Minister and the Human Resource Development Minister.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that he would take up the proposal to set up a defence park by the Defence Ministry in cooperation with the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Palakkad, to manufacture electronic equipment for the forces.

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