Kerala told to put on hold construction of car park

[Mrudul Godbole]

Kerala told to put on hold construction of car park
September 6, 2014 05:16 IST

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday asked the Kerala government to put on hold the construction of a mega car park in what Tamil Nadu claims to be water spread area of Mullaperiyar reservoir under its control. The NGT Southern Bench comprising Judicial Member M. Chockalingam and Expert Member R. Narendran ordered maintenance of status quo in the construction following an application from Tamil Nadu.

On Friday, the Tamil Nadu government impleaded itself in a case filed by M.S. Thankappan of Idukki, who had argued that the proposed car park was being built in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In March, the NGT imposed a stay on the Kerala government from undertaking any development activity in the area under contention. The order was modified in May permitting the shifting of the car park to what Kerala described as “peripheral” area of the reserve in Kumili town.

In its application on Friday, the Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department, Tamil Nadu, denied that the car parking project came under the Kumili town.

The Deputy Director, PTR, had encroached 2.5 acres in the water spread area of the reservoir leased out to Tamil Nadu under the 1886 agreement, the application claimed. Despite several letters from the Tamil Nadu government, Kerala had completed site clearance and was filling up the area, it said. The application sought a stay on the construction activities, arguing that it would endanger the environment and would violate the Mullaperiyar lease agreement.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

2.5 acres for car park? Wonder how many tourists they want in that place. First they construct a dam in a Tiger reserve and submerge large tracts of pristine land. Then they decide to invite tourists to the dam. To cater to tourists another 2.5 acre goes as car park. Wonder how much more forest area goes for other amenities to satisfy the creature comforts of the tourists.