Kerala - Kollam   

Greens demand statutory authority to conserve lake

— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Water matters: Environmental activists take out a march to the residence of Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran in Kollam on Sunday demanding the constitution of a statutory authority for the protection of Sasthamcotta Lake.

KOLLAM: Environmentalists, under the banner of Paristhiti Samrakshana Ekopnana Samithy, took out a march from the Press Club Maidan to the residence of Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran here on Sunday demanding the constitution of a statutory authority for the protection of the Sasthamcotta freshwater lake.

The police blocked the march before it reached the Minister's house. The demonstrators staged a sit-in on the road and raised slogans demanding constitution of the statutory authority.

Odanavattam Vijayaprakash, general convener of the samithy, warned that the samithy would launch a relay fast in front of the Minister's residence if the authority was not constituted by September 30.

He said a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on May 12, attended by Mr. Premachandran and Ministers T.M. Thomas Isaac and Benoy Viswom, had taken a decision to constitute a statutory authority for the protection of the lake before August 15. An indefinite relay fast by environmentalists at Sasthamcotta demanding measures for the protection of the lake was withdrawn on the basis of an assurance given in this regard.

However, no steps had been taken so far for the constitution of the authority.

Illegal mining

Mr. Vijayaprakash said one of the main causes that had led to shrinking of the lake at an alarming rate was the unauthorised mining of clay and sand in the West Kallada area. As part of measures to protect the lake, a strong police picket was deployed in the area. However, the police picket was withdrawn two months ago following which mining activities resumed, Mr. Vijayaprakash said.

Environmental activists Pallisseri, T.K. Vinodan, K. Sajid, V.S. Sreekantan Nair, Jose Vimalraj, K.C. Sreekumar, Santosh Kumar, N.B. Raju, Arinellur Ravichandran, Ivarkala Thulsaidharan, Chavara Dineshan, Edayam Balachandran and V.S. Binduraj addressed the dharna.

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