TDB programme 'violating' law

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 9. Violating all forest norms and even an issue-specific Supreme Court order, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is pressing ahead with a programme to construct massive concrete structures and erect sodium vapour lamps along the forest route to Sabarimala.

In May this year, the Supreme Court had directed the TDB to stop its construction activities in the forests of Sabarimala in an interim order on a public interest petition filed by an environment group in the State.

Last month, the court gave temporary stay on its ban on the condition that whatever work is taken up by the TDB will be in accordance with the directives issued by the Union Department of Environment and Forest. These directives are now being thrown to the winds by the TDB. The four-km stretch of the forest track from Pampa to Sannidhanam, which falls in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, is being lit up with over 250 sodium vapour lamps before the commencement of this pilgrim season.

The TDB is also taking up construction of a concrete flyover at Marakkoottam and a string of barricades at Saramkuthi. The TDB's version is that these structures are an absolute necessity to control the crowd during the peak days of the pilgrim season.

Last month, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had expressed its willingness to allow the TDB `permissive use' of 20 hectares of forest land at Marakkoottam. The conditions are that there should be no damage to the vegetation, there should be no permanent structures and all temporary ones erected should be dismantled as soon as the season is over.

Apparently, none of these conditions is being respected while taking up the new development programmes. Forest officials, who are aware of the consequences of allowing such acts of blatant violation of the laws and the Supreme Court directives, are not being allowed to open their mouth, according to a top Government source.

``The political establishment is fully backing the TDB because of its tendency to read religious sentiments into even acts of environment destruction at Sabarimala,'' an official said. The bright sodium vapour lamps will turn into a permanent disturbance to the nocturnal animals and birds of the tiger reserve.

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