Team Blitz India
KOCHI: The Kerala Government’s move to declare an area of about 364.39 hectares in the state’s Idukki district as protected forest is proving to be a contentious step.
Farmers’ organisations have voiced concern over the move claiming that declaring the land as reserve forest would adversely affect their access to water sources for cultivating their agriculture land.
A section within the state’s main party among ruling alliance partners, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), also shared the farmers’ concern.
The area, to be named Chinnakanal Reserve, will include Papathichola and Suryananelli in Udumbanchola taluka. In September, the Forest Department had issued a gazette notification regarding the decision.
According to the state forest department, said reports, the region – including the catchment area of the Anayirankal reservoir – serves as a habitat for elephants and other wild animals.
They argue that the move to declare it a reserve forest is aimed at safeguarding the flora and fauna, considered forest wealth.
But farmer groups have raised objections in declaring it as protected land, alleging that the forest department has kept the move to declare the area as a reserve forest a secret. They have voiced suspicions over the said move.
Farmers in the area use the land as an access route apart from drawing water for irrigation from sources available in the area. Once it attains reserve forest status, stringent restrictions will be imposed under forest conservation laws, they pointed out.
MM Mani, MLA from Udumbanchola constituency, also voiced his concern over the move saying that efforts to designate the areas as reserve forests “where people have been living for ages” will draw opposition.
