With the attention of the authorities being shifted to the conduct of the Assembly election and the term of the Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority ending, illegal reclamation of wetlands and water bodies in Ernakulam district may go unchecked, it’s feared. Reclamation of wetlands and paddy fields is taking place in some parts of Kanayannoor, Aluva, Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu and Paravur taluks. Mangroves, ponds and backwaters were also being reclaimed in some parts of the district, according to S. Sitaraman, an environmental activist and also the president of the All Kerala River Protection Council. A situation exists in the district where water sources would soon be filled up and the ecological balance would be upset. The district administration should take suo motu action to check the violations, he said. A. Ramachandran, a member of the now defunct coastal zone authority, feared that it would be a free-for-all situation. The term of the previous committee ended last month and the new committee is yet to assume office. With the guard being lowered, there is the increased risk of encroachments, he said. Though some of the earlier reclamation and violations were brought to the notice of the authorities, no effective action was taken. Despite a sub-committee of the coastal zone authority suggesting the eco-restoration of the illegally reclaimed inter-tidal zones near the Vallarpadaom Container Terminal Road, the authorities failed to act. The violations could still be noticed there, said Dr. Ramachandran. Large tracts of wetlands were reclaimed for commercial purpose near the Vallarpadaom Church and along the road. The reclamation need to be checked, he said. Suresh Das, Executive Vice President of the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), when contacted, said the district collectors would be apprised of the situation. The arrangements that need to be in place during the interim period would be checked. The council will write to the district collectors concerned about the apprehensions raised by the activists and suggestions for checking the illegal reclamation would be issued, he said
2016, The Hindu