Greens urge Kerala government to buy disputed land at Thusharagiri

Handing over land to original owners could spell ecological disaster for area, they say

The All Kerala River Protection Committee has urged the State government to purchase the disputed land at Thusharagiri as they fear an ecological disaster if the land is handed over to the original owners following a recent Supreme Court order.

The State government had in 2000 taken over 540 acres of land near the Thusharagiri waterfalls in high-range region of Kozhikode district, after environmentalists like Medha Patkar and Sugathakumari protested against the uncontrolled tree felling in Jeerakappara near the area.

The barren land has now turned into dense forest inhabited by several animals and some endangered species of butterflies. Some landowners had approached the court demanding that the land should be returned to them as they were not compensated for it. The case has recently been settled in their favour at the Supreme Court, and 71 acres of land have to be returned to the original owners.

In a recent meeting presided over by the committee’s district president K. Ramadevi and inaugurated by State general secretary T.V. Rajan, the Kozhikode district unit of the committee pointed out that two important waterfalls in the disputed land, Erattumukku and Mazhavil, were part of the Thusharagiri ecotourism project. Those waterfalls, combined with the Thusharagiri falls, were the source of the Chalippuzha river, which was the lifeline of Kodenchery and nearby panchayats in the north-eastern high-range of Kozhikode district. Chalippuzha is also world renowned as one of the top destinations for whitewater kayaking. The Malabar River Festival held there every year is well-received by tourists and locals.

If the two waterfalls and the dense forest land around them were handed back to the original owners, it would spell doom for the Chalippuzha and the forest, stated the committee. It would also affect the drinking water supply and the agriculture sector of Kodenchery, they said.

The committee had urged the State government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

Source: Read Full Article