By our Special Correspondent,
T’vm : The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has flayed the State Government for alleged laxity in compiling its final report on ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in Kerala in response to the sixth draft notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Changanassery Archbishop-designate, Mar Thomas Tharayil, while addressing a press conference recently found faults with the authorities in failing to redress the widespread apprehension that existed among the public in the affected regions, despite appointing several committees in this regard.
Mar Thomas Tharayil who is currently Auxiliary Bishop of the Changanassery Archdiocese and Convener of the Public Affairs Committee of Syro-Malabar Church said the Kerala State Biodiversity Board has published three types of maps including cadastral maps, instead of finalizing a geo-co-ordinates map that demarcated the areas to be classified as ESAs. He cautioned that maps that specified the names of revenue villages would result in as many as 213 villages being classified as ESA villages, and thereby curtail the livelihood of 30 lakh people residing in these local bodies.
The also highlighted certain anomalies in the report, prepared on the basis of recommendations by the Oommen V oommen Committee that has been submitted to the Centre.
“The panel has falsely stated that the State’s total reserve forests spread across 9,107 sq.km. were located in 123 villages. Such fundamental discrepancies would ultimately hinder normal life in these local bodies on account of the restrictions imposed by the Centre”, the Bishop added.
The Minister for Co-operation V N Vasavan said on the floor of the assembly that the government would continue its intervention to resolve the anomalies with regard to the demarcation of ESAs in the State replying to a calling attention moved by Sunny Joseph.
