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Saturday, Jan 05, 2008
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Kerala

Threat to Vellayani lake: Revenue officials begin crackdown

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The district administration on Friday swung into action against encroachments upon Vellayani freshwater lake and the adjoining wetlands.

A special squad led by Revenue Division Officer P. Manikantan carried out inspections in the areas around the lake.

The squad registered four cases in connection with the recent reclamation of paddy fields at Venganoor. An earth mover was taken into custody from Melankode and handed over to the Nemom police station.

The operation was carried out on the basis of instructions issued by District Collector N. Ayyappan to identify land-filling and reclamation of fields and wetlands. Tahsildar Krishnakumar, the additional tahsildar, the deputy tahsildar and village officers were present.

Mr. Ayyappan said Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran had directed the administration to crackdown on encroachments upon the waterbody. He said the operation would be intensified in the coming days.

The threat posed to Vellayani lake by encroachments and sand-mining was a major topic of discussion at a meeting convened by the Select Committee of the Assembly here on Wednesday to discuss the Kerala paddy field and wetland conservation Bill 2007. Participants at the meeting accused Revenue and police officials of turning a blind eye to illegal reclamation of wetlands adjoining the lake.

Mr. Rajendran who heads the Select Committee has promised to convene a high-level meeting next week to formulate a strategy to save the lake.

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