Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Paddy field conversion at Aranmula

Photo: Leju Kamal

CONVERSION SPREE: A view of the illegally converted paddy field at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district. -

PATHANAMTHITTA: Illegal conversion of a vast expanse of Aranmula-puncha at Aranmula, in Pathanamthitta district, is causing environmental, economic and social problems, eco-groups have said.

The conversion was being done in the name of an ‘international airport project’ which still remains a non-starter or rather a wild dream, alleges K.A. Verghese, member of the State-level Committee for Protection of Wetlands and Rivers.

The district authorities here said the Revenue Department had not given any clearance for paddy field conversion in Aranmula. “The wanton land conversion has been done allegedly by the so-called promoters of the airport project during the past four years without even getting the mandatory clearance for their project,” alleged Mr. Verghese.

Not less than 75 acres of Aranmula puncha have already been converted in the name of the airport project. What is more alarming is that the ‘land mafia’ had even bulldozed an adjoining hill to fill the paddy fields, he alleged.

Pampa Parirakshana Samiti general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair said the conversion of paddy fields in the Pampa basin would adversely affect the water recharging capacity in the surrounding areas, aggravating the existing drinking water problems.

Professor Thomas P. Thomas, an environmentalist, said such massive conversions should not have been carried out with out conducting the mandatory impact assessment.

Such activities might even cause unpredictable micro-climatic changes, Dr. Thomas said.

People’s representatives and local self-government institutions were not doing enough to prevent land conversion, Mr. Verghese said.

The local MLA seemed to extend mute patronage to the violators of law, despite he being a former leader of the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union, Mr. Verghese said.

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