The Hindu Business Line : Central team to go into plea for Sabarimala forestland

A HIGH-level Central team is expected to visit Sabarimala on Saturday and hold discussions with the State Government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials on the demand for 500 acres of forestland for development of the pilgrim centre.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in response to the requests made by the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, and MPs from Kerala, is understood to have entrusted Mr T.A.K. Nair, his Principal Secretary, to look into the demand.

Mr Nair, heading the team consisting of senior officials from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, is expected to go in to the request in detail besides exploring various other options.

The Centre is understood to be not very enthusiastic about handing over such a vast stretch of forestland in the Periyar tiger reserve for the development of Sabarimala.

According to ecologists and environmental activists any further deforestation in the Sabarimala and other surrounding hills would result in serious ecological and environmental degradation leading to cloudbursts during the monsoons.

Even the 63 acres of forestland given to TDB at Sabarimala have already been transformed into a forest of concrete structures.

The best option now, therefore, left before the TDB and the Kerala Government is to develop the 250 acres of land available at Nilakkal near Pampa held by the State Farming Corporation, they say.

If this land is developed scientifically as 10 compartments of 25 acres each with all facilities, that can accommodate the pilgrims here and that in turn will reduce the crowding/congestion at Pampa apart from arresting the pollution of the holy river, it is felt.

Besides, there are perennial water resources at Nilakkal, which is just few kilometres from Pampa. The large pond at the ancient Lord Siva temple here could be a major source of water, they said.

The toilet complexes and the large number of hotels and shops currently functioning on the sand bed of the river are not only the main cause for polluting the river but also it denies the pilgrims of their right to perform the rituals at Pampa.

Hence shifting of all these activities to Nilakkal would make the sand bed available to the pilgrims for performing the rituals as per the traditions, Mr N.K. Sukumaran Nair, General Secretary, Pamba Parirakshana Samithi, told Business Line.

Already, the "Poonkavanam" of Lord Ayyappa spread over 18 hills, which was once a dense tropical forest having flowering trees and plants, is now "only a forestland but without forest trees".

In fact, afforestation of this forestland is urgently needed so as to retain the wetland system in the region and replenishing the existing streams, he said. Besides, because of felling of trees en route the trekking path Pampa - Neelimala- Sabarimala it is now open to Sun making it difficult for the pilgrims climbing the hill bare-foot.

The reason for felling the trees on this path is pointed out as for providing overhead cables for telephone and power supply connections. But, according to Mr Nair, the cables could be laid underground.

He said the proposed queue complex and toilet facilities at Marakkoottam just a few km before the Sabarimala Sannidhanam could be developed without resorting to deforestation and hence for doing this work permissive sanction from the MoEF could be obtained.

A prudent approach often found to be lacking in handling the forestland for developmental activities, he said. In 1996, the electricity board had decided to set up a 66 KV substation at Pampa.

For implementing this project what they did first was to fell the trees from Kochu Pampa to Pampa on a 28-metre wide stretch and setting up overhead electric line while the construction of the sub-station has yet to commence.

Therefore, he said, there should be an assurance before allotting the forestland that the remaining "live trees" would be allowed to grow while all the vacant land remaining unused following deforestation would be planted with trees as an afforestation exercise.

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