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Kerala mangrove island under threat, cabinet dividedKerala's
biodiversity board has asked Chief Minister V S Achutanandan to
reject single window clearance forthe 'High Tech City' project at
the exhilarating Valanthakad island in the backwaters outside
Kochi. P NVenugopal reports.
21 November 2009 - The early morning sun emerging from the
clouds brightens the narrow strip of land,which suddenly broadens
and a house or two appear and then again narrows down to a three
feet path.Birdcalls break the silence and different kinds of them
flutter around. Surrounded on all sides by water andwith estuaries
curving into the land mass and mangroves weaving exotic pitch green
patterns in the waterand on the shores, it is an exhilarating
visual experience. This is the island of Valanthakad in theVembanad
backwater, in the suburbs of Kochi, Kerala.
This unique eco-system is now threatened. It may vanish
altogether or at least be marred beyondrecognition if the project
of Sobha Developers to setup a knowledge park, housing and
commercial complex,multiplex, star hotels, IT research centre,
oceanarium and a ropeway, comes through.
Mangroves weaving exotic green patterns in the water and on the
shores in theVembanad backwaters. Pic: Manilal Padavoor.
The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has strongly objected
to the setting up of the High Tech City atValanthakad and has urged
the chief minister - who is also the chairman of the Single Window
ClearanceCommittee constituted for speedy approvals of mega
projects - to reject the project. Valanthakad constitutesa mangrove
ecosystem comprising of 644 acres, the highest such concentration
in the state.
Sobha Developers had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with the Kerala government inAugust 2007 to set up the
Rs.5,000-crore hi-tech city. As per the MoU, the company was to
develop sevenmillion square feet built-up area. The government, in
turn agreed to bring the project under single-windowclearance and
to facilitate land development, limited land acquisition and
environmental clearances, as wellas provide utilities such as
electricity, gas, water, sewage and communications.
The high-tech city is one of the four mega projects (Knowledge
City, Kochi, a joint venture programme inKozhikode with Grasim
Industries, and an Integrated Township in Kozhikode are the other
three) that havebeen short listed and submitted to the committee
for clearance, following a decision by the state committeeof the
Communist Party of India, Marxist (CPIM), which leads the
coalition, the Left Democratic Front (LDF),to speed up pending
developmental projects.
There have been allegations from one faction of the party that
Chief Minister V S Achutanandan is sitting onproposals citing
environmental and population displacement problems. The CPI(M) has
been riven byfactionalism during the past years, Achutanadan
leading one group and Pinarayi Vijayan, the state partysecretary
heading the other. Even though mostly personality driven, observers
attribute certain ideologicaldifferences too. The Achutanandan
group supposedly represents the 'conservative', 'ideology
bound'Marxism, while the other group is seen to be more 'modern'
and 'pragmatic'. The latter has a penchant for'development'
disregarding the human and environmental cost, and it is this group
that alleges 'anti-development' trends on the part of the chief
minister.
Furthermore, Achutanandans relegation from the politburo of the
party and the strictures by the topcommittee to strictly abide by
the party decisions is reportedly being used by interested sections
of the partyto get these mega projects approved. In the meantime,
however, Binoy Biswam, Minister for Forests of theCommunist Party
of India (CPI) too has come out against hasty clearance of mega
projects overlookingrules and regulations and shot off a letter to
his partys national secretary asking for intervention in
thematter.
The proposed project would violate a series of national and
state laws, the note, by KSBB has cautioned thechief minister.
These include the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, Kerala
Conservation of Paddy Land
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and Wetland Act 2008, National Environment Policy, 2006, Kerala
Forest Policy 2008 and the NationalWetland Conservation Programme.
The company has apparently acquired 320 acres of land
includingonetime paddy fields and vast fish farming lakes,
according to the KSBB. But it is reported that thepurchases have
been made in the names of 18 different companies to overcome the
Land Reforms Act.Hence the note to the chief minister points out
that the project if given the green signal, will be in violation
ofthe Kerala State Land Reforms Act, 1963, apart from going against
the Kerala State Biodiversity Strategyand Action Plan, and the
Ramsar Convention.
Valanthakad is part of the Vembanad backwater, which is one of
the Ramsar sites and any such activitiesas has been proposed will
be a gross violation and would lead to disastrous consequences,
pointed outPurushan Eloor, an environmental activist and a member
of the Environmental Protection Group (ParisthithiSamrakshana
Koottayma) which had filed a PIL against the project in 2007. The
case has hardly made anyprogress because of prevarication by the
government, allegesEloor, who is in his mid-forties. The court had
issued notices tothe state government and the state industries
department. Butthe government has been delaying further progress by
citingvarious excuses like the final project report is not yet
readyetc.
94 per cent of the mangroves that was there in Kerala till
the1980s have been destroyed, according to the Board. Almost
half of the backwater that surrounded Kochi is no more thereand
Valanthakad is the lone survivor with its rich biodiversity. 77
plant species and 27 water organisms have been identified here.
The report says in no uncertain terms that the destruction will
be irreversible. It is just impossible torecreate the mangrove
system elsewhere; biological science has not yet grown for such a
feat. The KSBBnotes that the biodiversity of the area is quite rich
and it is a traditional waterfowl area attracting a largenumber of
migratory species. The report goes on to say that the people of the
area would lose the indirectbenefits worth Rs. 77.28 crores
annually. Dr V S Vijayan, chairman of the KSSB, clarified that this
isthe gross value of 14 eco-system services, like regulation of
groundwater, that are invisible, but very muchassessable.
Vembanad backwaters in evening light.
Only 48 families live in the island now.Initially they had
approached us too forbuying land, says Chandran, a local man,who
supports his family by fishing in thebackwaters. None of the
families sold out tothe builder. We cannot even think of a
lifeelsewhere, he adds. Sahajan, anotherisland dweller confirmed
that most of the
land/water logged area were purchased from absentee landlords
who had given up Pokkali farming(a unique practice of paddy
cultivation in saline water) and fish farming. There is a ferry-a
country boat-connecting the island with the mainland where many of
the younger people study or work.
Notwithstanding all the objections raised by the Board, the
Minister of Industries, Elamaram Kareem is quiteconfident that the
Sobha City project will be given the nod without much delay.
Responding to the questions
on the views of the KSBB, the minister said in a press meet that
the project would provide employment for75000 people. He stressed
that none of the existing rules needs be amended for this, instead
relaxations inthe existing rules could be offered.
When confronted with this, Dr Vijayan responded: If relaxations
are made, then there is no point in havingacts and laws. And this
project is not for any public good. Instead its only for the profit
of one or fewindividuals.
Even though Achutanadan has become less vocal and less
forthcoming on various issues after thedisciplinary action taken
against him by his party, the Sobha City project is seen by many as
an acid test of
Notwithstanding all the objections raisedby the Kerala State
Biodiversity Board,Minister of Industries Elamaram Kareemis quite
confident that the High Tech Cityproject will be given the nod
withoutmuch delay.
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the veteran. It remains to be seen whether these troubled tracts
will stay protected. (The Quest Features &
Footage)
P N Venugopal21 Nov 2009
Building curbs in the islands of Kerala's backwaters to be
eased
K.S. Sudhi
Move considering State's unique coastal environs'
Relaxation meant for constructing dwelling units
KOCHI: The islands in the backwaters of Kerala will witness a
flurry of development activities as the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has proposed to reduce
the No Development Zone' to 50
metres against the existing 200 metres from the High Tide Line.
The relaxation will be for
construction of dwelling units. A special dispensation for
coastal stretches of Kerala is proposed to
be provided which will include a 50m No Development Zone' along
all backwater islands, according
to the Ministry. The case of Kerala was considered along with
Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai,
which also have thickly populated coastal areas.
The decision was taken considering the long-standing demand for
reduction of No Development
Zone' from the State and the most unique coastal environments
wherein more than 300 islands are
located within its backwaters.
Most of these islands/narrow land strips such as Maruvakad,
Challakadavu, Kandakadavu,
Puthanthode, Kannamaly, Cheriyakadavu and Kattiparambil are
thickly populated. The population
density along the coastal areas is around 2,150 persons per
sq.km., the Ministry observed. Most of
the islands in the State were included in Coastal Regulation
Zone (CRZ) - 3 comprising rural areas
and CRZ-1 which are ecologically sensitive areas. In the case of
CRZ-1, no development activities
can be taken up.
Clearance
The Ministry has also proposed that clearance for housing
projects of area more than 2 lakh sq.ft.
should be sought from the State Coastal Zone Management
Authority and the State Environment
Impact Assessment Committee.
For projects below the limit, clearance has to be obtained from
the State Coastal Zone Management
Authority and the urban local bodies and panchayats.
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