Social activist stresses need to protect paddy fields, environment

C.R. Neelakantan, noted social activist, has called upon the people to stay united in the efforts to protect ‘ther Nature’ and environment.

Mr Neelakantan was addressing a public meeting organised by the Aranmula-based eco group, Prakruthi Samrakshana Sauhruda Vedi (PSSV), protesting against largescale conversion of paddy fields and natural streams in the name of a private airport project, `KGS International Greenfield Airport’, at Aranmula on Saturday.

“There is every reason to suspect some ‘hidden motive’ in the excessive enthusiasm shown by certain people’s representatives towards the airport project, disregarding its hazardous environmental and social implications in the region,’’ Mr Neelakantan said.

Mr Neelakantan said conversion of the once-prolific paddy fields in the name of the airport project would lead to irrevocable environmental problems in the region. Depletion of the ground water table and pollution of wells has been reported from certain residential plots in the immediate vicinity of the already converted paddy fields, he said.

A private party has already converted as many as 150 acres of waterlogged paddy fields in the name of the airport project, keeping the local people a confused lot and sowing seeds of a `development dream’ in them. A portion of the 7.5 km long natural stream, Kozhithode, has also been converted. Ironically, no official action has been initiated against the culprits behind this gross violation of the Kerala wetland and paddy field protection Act for reasons best known to the authorities concerned, Mr Neelakantan alleged.

Notified industrial area

The Industries department has notified 500 acres of land spread across the three villages of Aranmula, Mallappuzhasserry and Kidangnannur as industrial area, besides setting up a ``Greenfield Airport, Aranmula Single Window Clearance Board’’ in February, keeping the local people totally in the dark about it, he alleged.

Mr Neelakantan alleged that the claims of the private promoters of the proposed airport project were aimed at confusing the poor villagers.

The private company’s claim appeared in the media that they have obtained clearances for the proposed airport project from various Central and State Government agencies itself hinted at a major scam involved in the process, he alleged.

“The company’s executive director, P.T.Nandakumar, has reportedly stated that the local MP, Anto Antony, former MLA, K.C.Rajagopalan and Mr T.K.A.Nair, advisor to Prime Minister, have been extending active support to the airport project. The promoter company has clarified that the mutation process of the 350 acres of land it had purchased in Aranmula was under way. As per the Revenue records, the private company do not possess any piece of land of its own in Aranmula when the application for obtaining various clearances for the proposed airport project was filed to various Government agencies. In this context, how could the promoter company managed to obtain such important clearances for the proposed airport project from both the Centre as well as the State Government is a serious matter to be probed into,’’ Mr Neelakantan said.

He said the local MP was bound to clarify his stand and involvement in the issue before the common people who have elected him. The Union Defence Minister, A.K.Antony and Civil Aviation Minister, Vayalar Ravi, should also clarify the grounds on which their respective ministries have given `green chits’ for the proposed private airport in Aranmula and that too at a bio-diversity rich wetland and a once-prolific paddy field, he added.

Mr Neelakantan, accompanied by K.A.Varghese and V.N.Gopinatha Pillai, All-Kerala River and Wetland Protection Council leaders; K.P.Sreeranganathan, Aranmula Vijayakumar and Ayroor Pradeep, PSSV leaders, also visited the large expanse of the paddy fields that have been converted in the name of the airport project at Aranmula.

The PSSV leaders alleged that the claims made by the private airport company authorities have put even the offices of the Prime Minister, Union Defence Minister, Civil Aviation Minister, local MP and the State Government in the thick of a controversy. The Government should stop conversion of paddy fields and reinstate the converted land into its original position, invoking the relevangt provisions in the Paddy field protection Act, they added.

Mr Neelakantan also demanded a detailed probe into the entire issues, which, according to him, would be a major scam the State had ever witnessed.