Strong protests were registered on Monday against a move by private individuals to encroach upon the estuary area of Asthamudi Lake at Shakthikulangara and build an ice-crushing unit there.
Former Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran visited the site on Saturday. He said that in spite of the blatant violation of wetland protection laws, the authorities were turning a blind eye to the encroachment.
Boulders dumped
Over ten loads of granite boulders had already been dumped into the lake to create a granite base and then lay a concrete floor over it. The ice-crusher unit would then be fabricated over the floor.
Mr. Premachandran warned of a strong agitation if the authorities continued to ignore encroachment inside the Shakthikulangara fishing harbour area.
