Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan’s announcement here that the controversial Mangrove Theme Park at Pappinissery, set up by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-controlled Pappinissery Eco-tourism Society (PETS), will be reopened is all set to trigger a row as the United Democratic Front (UDF) and local environmental activists are likely to stage protests against it.
The Minister said at a function organised by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) at Pappinissery on June 5 that if the park had not been closed, the area would have been one of the best tourist destinations in the State. He said that efforts would be made to revive the park. The Minister’s statement has already drawn flak from the Congress district leaders here.
The controversy
The controversial mangrove theme park was inaugurated in April 2010 by actor Suresh Gopi, amid political protests. The park was later closed in October that year following a directive of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEFs) and intervention of the courts. The park had been set up on an 8.5-acre land close to the Valapattanam bridge on the National Highway.
The UDF had then alleged that the CPI(M) was using PETS to grab land in the ecologically fragile areas on the banks of the Valapattanam river. Environmental groups had also opposed the park developed on the mangrove-rich area.
“The society has no legal obstacle in reopening the park as the Supreme Court recently closed the case on the condition that the park can function as per the directive of the High Court,” said A.V. Ajayakumar, vice president of the society. The High Court’s directive was that there should be no commercial tourism activities in the park and that all temporary installations be demolished, he told The Hindu . He said that the land had been purchased by PETS from a private owner.
Congress charge
District Congress Committee president K. Surendran said that the CPI(M)’s plan to revive the park would wreak havoc on the mangrove vegetation in the area. The park had been closed amid protests and court rulings, he said adding that the revival plan was an affront to the people and would be opposed by all means.
Study purposes
The idea of setting up a mangrove park was proposed as facility for promoting studies and research on mangroves, according to Mr. Ajayakumar. The society was still involved in the education purposes, he said. He also said that the closure of the park had revived dumping of waste in the mangrove area.
