Date:13/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/13/stories/2009011351470300.htm

Kerala

Plea for report on Pampa-Vaipar project

Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA: A get-together of environmentalists, representatives of various science and technology institutions and non-governmental organisations here on Monday has passed a resolution demanding the government to appoint a credible national agency to prepare a study report on the Pampa-Achencoil-Vaipar Link Project.

The get-together, organised by the Kuttanad Vikasana Samithi, Pampa Samrakshana Samithi and the Vembanad Protection Forum, also demanded that the claims of Tamil Nadu that Kerala had excess water from the Pampa and Achencoil rivers too should be ascertained by a reputed national agency.

Criticising the State government for its delay in preparations for the case when the Supreme Court would take up hearing of Tamil Nadu’s plea for implementation of the project later this month, the meeting said a study report entailing various aspects of what the project meant for Kerala and its ecology should be prepared at the earliest.

The fact that Kerala required water from these rivers for different purposes, including agriculture, industrial and tourism uses; that the project could spell doom for the ecologically fragile Kuttanad belt if any changes were made in its natural water supply pattern.

It also said that the Ramsar Site of Vembanad could be affected negatively by the project had to be highlighted by the government, demanded the meeting.

The meeting was inaugurated by the Mullaperiyar Dispute Cell chairman M.K. Parameswaran Nair.