Pathanamthitta: The report submitted by the director of the State Environment and Climate Change department, P.Sreekantan Nair, to the Union Ministry of Environment on the environmental issues related to the proposed international airport at Aranmula was totally biased and aimed at helping the private company that has identified a vast expanse of paddy fields and wetlands in and around Aranmula as the project site, alleged the People’s Action Council leaders.
Talking to The Hindu in Pathanamthitta on Friday, the action council leaders, P.Induchoodan, P.R.Shaji, and Pradeep Ayroor, alleged that many remarks made by the State Government official in his report submitted to the Union Ministry through the Principal Secretary to Kerala Government were contradictory to his earlier statements made before the people of Aranmula during the site inspection. Moreover, many remarks made in Mr Nair’s report were inconclusive and ambiguous, especially on the crucial question whether the project site included paddy fields and wetland, they said.
They termed the report vague and misleading as it failed to mention the disastrous implications on the environment and eco system in the event of earth filling a vast expanse of paddy fields and wetland that have been hitherto acting as a key source of ground water recharging in the region and as a natural flood escape route leading to river Pampa.
19/10/12 The Hindu
