Kanniyakumari’s paddy fields fall prey to real-estate development
The Hindu
Rules prevent their conversion into housing plots
The fertile paddy fields of Kanniyakumari district, once the rice bowl of the erstwhile Travancore state, are being indiscriminately converted into housing plots in violation of rules. Lush green fields and banana and coconut groves are giving way to buildings, defeating the very purpose of the declaration of the wetlands in Suchindram and Theroor and the Manakudi estuary as conservation reserves. Further, the dumping and burning of waste, especially plastic, on the bunds of waterbodies and the release of untreated sewage into them are causing damage to the Suchindram Theroor bird sanctuary. “When I challenged real-estate brokers with rules that prevent construction, they said the sale was not for constructing houses. But those who have bought the lands have started constructing buildings despite my putting up a notice board stating that permission will not be granted for such works,” said C. Kosalai, president of Parakkai panchayat, which is on the banks of the Parakkai Kulam bird sanctuary. Putheri, a fertile village in the northern part, has fallen prey to the construction of houses. Suchindaram, Kakkamoor, Kurichi and other villages on one side of the Suchindram Theroor bird sanctuary are also witnessing a spurt in construction activities. Even in 2010, the then Collector, Rajendra Ratnoo, issued an order to prevent the conversion of wetlands into housing projects. He directed all village administrative officers not to grant permission for construction on wetlands in view of the depletion of groundwater.More Related News