Kerala will have to face a catastrophic environmental disaster in the near future, if the Government, people’s representatives and the society as a whole failed to take effective steps to protect the environment and conserve nature, said senior Congress(I) leader, V.M. Sudheeran.
He was inaugurating a seminar on `River Pampa and environment protection’, organised by Mar Thoma Evangeslitic Association attached to Mar Thoma Church at Marmon near Kozhencherry on Saturday.
Mr Sudheeran said the modus operandi of the so-called “land mafia’’ gives us an impression that ``various laws are meant for violating the same’’.
“It is unfortunate to say that the interests of the `land mafia’, and not that of the common man, were often found to have been the main agenda behind many a development project coming up in the State. Even the enviromnment impact assessments made for various projects too were found to have been a farce or manipulated to protect the interests of the ‘land mafia’ or certain corporate `lobby’, leaving the people and the environment the ultimate victims,’’ he alleged.
Decries `in-principal’ clearance
Mr Sudhheran said the Government should do away with the system of giving `in-principle’ clearance for a development project, with out properly studying various aspects of it.
Even various expert committees constituted from time to time too were found to have been comprising of incompetent people or nominees of one or the other vested interests, he alleged.
Wetland Authority
He said the Government decision to set up a Kerala State Wetland Authority and Vembanad Development Authority was a praiseworthy initiative. However, the Government should also ensure its effective and transparent functioning, he added.
The Congress(I) leader recalled that the sad fate of the much sought-after Centrally sponsored Pampa Action Plan remained as a sad testimony before us, he added.
It is also a fact that the proposed Sky City project too has been planned at one end of the sprawling Vembanad wetland system, he said.
Achuthanandan’s failure
Mr Sudheeran said the CPI(M) leader, V.S. Achuthanandan, who was in the forefront of many agitations to protect paddy fields and wetlands in the State should admit his “biggest mistake’’ in Aranmula by issuing an order giving “in-principle clearance’’ for a private airport project, besides issuing a notification declaring a vast expanse of paddy fields and wetlands as industrial area during the previous Left Democratic Front rule.
“Is this the manner in which development is to be made in a small State like Kerala ?,’’ the Congress(I) leader quipped. Mr Achuthanandan should also seek public apology for this grave mistake, he added.
Withdraw Government order
Mr Sudheeran has called upon the Government to “withdraw the notification in toto and the order of the previous LDF Government on the proposed private airport project, lest the `Aranmula model’ would be taken as a `model’ by the `land mafia’ for converting the remaining paddy fields and wetlands across the State.’’
Single window clearance
Mr Sudheeran said the Kerala Single Window Clearance Act of 1999 that provides many loopholes to help the law-violators should be recast.
Mr Sudheeran said the very concept of development should be made transparent, people-friendly and environment-friendly. People should be properly informed about the project before finalising the same.
He further reminded the people’s representatives of the fate of the former Union Minister, A. Raja, in the 2G Spectrum case, especially at a time when the people are well aware of the powers and use of RTI Act.
“Kerala is fast becoming a land of stinking waste dumps, posing alarming health risks and epidemic threat. The people have the right to breathe fresh air, drink pure water, and to live,’’ he added.
