The scheduled two-day visit of a Central team to Keezhattur here in the first week of May to study the alleged environmental issue raised by local residents in connection with the controversial National Highway (NH) bypass proposal as part of development of NH-66 is a morale booster for Vayalkilikal, a collective of local residents who have spearheaded the agitation against the bypass which is feared to destroy paddy fields in the village.
The Union Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) in a letter on April 20 informed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Kummanam Rajasekharan that the Research Officer of the Ministry John Thomas would visit Keezhattur on May 3 and 4 with local officials of the State government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the matter and submit a status report to the Ministry.
The decision was in response to a memorandum submitted by Mr. Rajasekharan. The BJP leader was asked by the Ministry to make himself available during the visit or depute a representative to furnish necessary inputs to the team.
“The visit of the Central team is a positive outcome and we welcome it,” said Suresh Keezhattur, leader of the Vayalkilikal, which included local Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers and supporters. He said the State government had refused to send such a fact-finding team to study the issue despite the instruction of the MoEF in response to an earlier representation by the Vayalkilikal.
Political dimension
The stir acquired political dimension as the agitators, mostly workers of the CPI(M) or its supporters, launched their protest against the bypass alignment in defiance of the district leadership of the party. Keezhattur being a CPI(M) pocket borough, the agitation drew support from rival parties, especially the BJP. The CPI(M) had expelled 11 party workers for joining the agitation.
The Vayalkilikal said the group had sent a representation to the MoEF raising the environmental issue connected with the bypass project nearly three months ago. The MoEF had responded to the representation by sending a letter to the Principal Secretary of the State Environment Department asking for a report on the issue. Following the letter, the Vayalkilikal had also sent a representation to the Principal Secretary with a plea to study the issue as directed by the MoEF.
“We do not know whether the Principal Secretary sent a reply to the MoEF, but the State government failed to act on it,” Mr. Suresh said.
