Clean chit for MLA’s theme park?

Collector’s report absolves him of all charges of violating laws

The Kozhikode District Collector has almost given a clean chit to the controversial water theme park owned by P.V. Anvar, Left Democratic Front-backed MLA, at Kakkadampoyil in Koodaranhi grama panchayat in the district.

In an 18- page report submitted to the State government, Collector U.V. Jose absolved Mr. Anvar, representing the Nilambur Assembly constituency in Malappuram district, of all the allegations for violating several laws for the construction of the park. However, the report pointed out that the legislator and his family were holding excess non-agricultural land in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, violating the provisions of the Kerala Land Reforms Act.

The Collector, in his report, submitted to the Additional Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) said the Kerala Land Board had already granted permission to the Thamarassery Taluk Land Board to register a case against Mr. Anvar and his family under Section 87 of the Kerala Land Reforms Act.

An inquiry committee comprising the Kozhikode Additional District Magistrate as convener and heads of multiple departments such as the Revenue, Forest and Wildlife, Fire and Rescue Services, Kerala State Pollution Control Board, District Medical Office, Kerala State Electricity Board, and Regional Town Planning Office as members had prepared the report that stated the park was not located in a hazard zone. The report had also a clarification from the State Disaster Management Authority.

The longitude and latitude coordinates of the location were sent to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) to prepare a hazard zone mapping of the area. And it had been clarified that the park was not located in a hazard-zone.

Incidentally, this finding was a volte-face to a previous finding by the Revenue Department that the park was situated in a region (Kakkadampoyil area in Thamarassery Taluk) coming under the High-Medium Hazard Zonation for landslip susceptibility in the District Disaster Management Plan of 2015.

The report pointed out that the park, situated outside the forest zone, had not encroached on puramboke (revenue land). Besides, the water theme park did not obstruct the natural flow of water in the region.

But the report recommended the dismantling of the sheet roof structures erected deviating from the approved building plan. Also, the park is yet to obtain the final certificate of approval from the Department of Fire and Rescue Services. But only obtained a Non-Objection Certificate under the Dangerous and Offensive Trade Licence.