Date:05/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/05/stories/2007120556010100.htm

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ISRO for panel to study land

State against giving land for IIST at upper sanatorium

Chief Secretary P.J. Thomas held talks with ISRO authorities on Tuesday.

Kochi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday submitted before the High Court that an expert committee be appointed to evaluate the suitability, nature and character of the land offered by the State government and also the land purchased by the ISRO and to assess the comparative damage to be caused to biodiversity of both the land due to constructions.

The ISRO sought appointment of the committee in the light of the divergent views expressed by the Revenue Authorities and the Divisional Forest Officer on the character of the land offered by the government.

The ISRO got a letter saying that the land offered by the government was ecologically fragile and that the land in the Merchiston estate was the best for the proposed space research institute.

Special Correspondent adds from Thiruvananthapuram: The State government is not in favour of giving land to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) at the upper sanatorium area of Ponmudi. Chief Secretary P.J. Thomas conveyed this to the ISRO authorities during a discussion he had with them here on Tuesday.

However, ISRO pressed for 25 acres at the upper sanatorium, excluding the tourism zone. No final decision was taken.

The government has agreed to obtain Central clearance for diversion of 100 acres, allocated for the IIST at Maruthuamala, for non-forest use in view of the forest cover. The area will be jointly surveyed by the government and the ISRO’s civil engineers. ISRO is also doing a study on the area through remote sensing. The results will become available in a week’s time. The government promised to construct a 4-km road to the site in 45 days. The cost would be about Rs.5 to Rs.7 crores.