Action council resumes protest demanding nod for road construction in Vattavada

Protest in Vattavada against delay in road construction permission affecting 175 families, facing opposition from Forest Department.

A joint action council on October 21 resumed their protest against a delay in providing permission for construction work on the Kadavari-Kottakamboor route in Vattavada in Idukki. Residents led by R. Chemmalar, a ward member of the Kadavari ward of the Vattavada panchayat, began the protest in front of the panchayat office after the authorities objected to the construction work.

The delay is creating hurdles in the lives of around 175 families who live in the area, and for whom the road is the only way to connect with the outside world.

Earlier in September, the action council staged a strike for over one week in front of the assistant wildlife warden’s office at Pampadumshola in Munnar with the same demand. The strike was called off after an intervention by the office of Minister for Forest A.K. Saseendran.

Former Vattavada panchayat president P. Ramaraj said though the Minister agreed to proceed with the construction, the Congress-ruled panchayat objected to the construction work. “The Forest department refused to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to the panchayat for the construction work. We will continue the protest till we get the permission,” he said.

Vattavada panchayat secretary Sreekumar G. said the Forest department would register a case against the panchayat secretary and assistant engineer if the construction activities are allowed in the area, which is part of the proposed Kurinjimala Wildlife Sanctuary. “As there was no NOC from the department, the panchayat directed us to suspend the road construction works,” he said. “The panchayat has decided to submit a letter directly to the Forest Principal Secretary, Revenue Principal Secretary, and Local Self-Governments department Director demanding permission for the road,” said Mr. Sreekumar.

Meanwhile, Munnar wildlife warden K.V. Harikrishnan said that some areas (58 and 62 blocks) in the Vattavada panchayat had been included in the proposed Neelakurinji sanctuary. “The road will come under the sanctuary area, and the settlement process of the sanctuary has not yet been completed. In the present situation, we cannot allow construction activities in the area,” he said.

On October 6, 2006, the then Forest Minister Binoy Viswom announced a 32-sq km Neelakurinji sanctuary in the Kottakamboor-Vattavada area to protect the Neelakurinji plants. But even after 18 years, the proposed sanctuary remains on paper.