Bison Valley residents’ signature campaign for the protection of Chokramudi hills

A petition will be submitted to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Devikulam Munsif Court demanding action against construction activities

Residents in Bison Valley, the downstream area of Chokramudi hills, has announced that they would collect signatures from the public from Bison Valley panchayat and submit them along with a petition to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Devikulam Munsif Court demanding immediate action against the large-scale construction activities in Chokramudi hills.

Baiju Balakrishnan, a resident of Bison Valley, alleged that large-scale construction works in the red zone area of the Chokramudi hills could not be conducted without the support of Revenue department officials. “The government should probe how title deeds were issued and permits given for construction activities in the red zone area,“ he said.

M.J. Sasidharan, another resident in Bison Valley, said that over 700 families live in the Chokramudi ward under the downstream area of the Chokramudi hills. “Now, post Wayanad landslides, the people are in fear that similar disasters will occur here. At the event of a landslide in Chokramudi hills, ward number 4 of Chokramudi, would be completely under debris. We demand that the government take steps to prevent all construction activities in Chokramudi hills,” said Mr. Sasidharan.

Devikulam Sub-Collector V.M. Jayakrishnan said he sought a detailed report from Devikulam tahsildar on the Chokramudi issue. “The tahsildar has been directed to use the new survey methods to find the actual status of the land in the Chokramudi hills. The Chokramudi hills, including Bison Valley panchayat, are part of the Udumbanchola taluk. We need to verify the revenue records from Udumbanchola taluk to find the actual details of the land status,” said the official.

“The Revenue department will seek a study report from the district geologist to find the land pattern in Chokramudi hills,” said Mr. Jayakrishnan.

The construction boom in Chokramudi hills, the downstream area of the Gap road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway, poses a threat to the landslips-prone area.