Mass agitation held in Amboori against govt. stance on buffer zones

Residents in Amboori, a rural suburb in close proximity to Neyyar wildlife sanctuary, are worried over the likely imposition of 1-km buffer zone; they fear the ESZ, if notified, may lead to a gradual exodus of locals due to various restrictions

A mass protest taken out in Amboori on Tuesday in protest against the satellite survey report on buffer zones around protected areas.

The residents in Amboori, a rural suburb nearly 40 km from Thiruvananthapuram bordering the southern tip of the Western Ghats, are up in arms against the State government’s alleged failure to insulate them from the likely imposition of the buffer zone around protected areas.

The possibility of an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) being notified within a radius of 1 km around the Neyyar wildlife sanctuary had irked the local community a few months ago. The issue has reared its head yet again against the backdrop of the growing criticism against the satellite survey undertaken by the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre (KSREC).

Several hundreds participated in a mass rally and a public meeting organised under the aegis of the Action Council Amboori at the Amboori junction on Tuesday.

The survey, Amboori grama panchayat vice-president Thomas Mangalasseri says, has excluded nearly 700 of the roughly 2,200 structures that come within the region. These included houses, commercial establishments, government offices and other buildings. Besides, over 2000 families figured in the zone that could come under a host of restrictions which are bound to affect normal life.

“The panchayat office, a family health centre, government offices and several other institutions are situated close to the protected area. We cannot afford to remain silent against any move intended to clamp down on developmental activities in the region,” he added.

He also demanded an extension of the deadline of December 23 that has been fixed for the public to furnish details of structures that did not figure in the findings of the satellite survey.

Action Council patron Fr. Jacob Cheeramvelil feared the possibility of the proposed curbs leading to a gradual exodus of residents from the densely-populated region. He added the large number of farmers in the area could be denied permission to replant crops after the imposition of the ESZ restrictions.

The panchayat has urged the government to rely on the panchayat registers maintained by local bodies to obtain details of structures in each ward and to subsequently undertake field visits to ascertain such information.