Kerala has seen both floods and droughts in the recent times, and yet, it has not learnt to protect its water bodies, laments Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran.
“Just think of the drought in Tamil Nadu now, before you pollute a water body”, he told the gathering, which included quite a number of school children, as part of the solidarity convention organised by the Kallai River Protection Committee on the banks of the river on Wednesday.
Administering an oath to protect the river from pollution and encroachments, Mr. Sudheeran said that nature had started retaliating to the offences committed against it.
The convention was organised to mobilise public support for the recent Kerala High Court order asking the district administration to take action against the encroachments on the river bank within six months. The river protection committee had been a party in the petition filed in the High Court against the encroachments on the river on the pretext of timber industry. The court had taken note of the revenue loss of lakhs of rupees due to the encroachments.
Though the District Collector had submitted an affidavit stating that no land was allotted on a permanent lease, the alleged encroachers had claimed that their land was on permanent lease.
NSS volunteers from higher secondary schools in the city, students of GUP School, Kundoongal, and representatives of various residents’ associations took part in the convention presided over by president of the committee, S.K.Kunhimon.
