Update On Kerala’s Narnia

Remember my article about the Palode Ranges which is Narnia in Kerala? Those beautiful ranges of lush semi evergreen forest is having its life under the puppet strings of  the fake EIA report generated by IMA for a construction of a biomedical waste treatment plant, to be situated at the heart of the forest.

Please make sure you have read that article by visiting http://www.panchamimenon.com/palode/ or you can reread it again to refresh your memory.

The persistent work by Environmental Protection and Research Council (EPRC) was able to bring about a court order demanding the suspension of the site construction. The villagers were content and thanked us for our determined cooperation.

However, yesterday(8/11/18), a newspaper report sparked anger among the locals.  The article says that the IMA site construction can now be unsuspended. We decided to visit the site. And… things got complicated.

We found out that there is a new issue. A few kilometres away from the Palode Ranges is Perigamala, an evergreen forest with terrific scenic view decorated by deluging streams, and beautifully contoured by rocky hills. It has waterfalls for its hearty tears. All this natural beauty gave it the name “Agasthyakoodam” biosphere reserve by the Kasturi Rangan report.

This is one of the rarest places which is weighed by hill stations and is near to the sea. Home to the endangered ‘Nilgiri Thar’ and the rare ‘Jathika’ (stone apple), along with 699 endemic and exotic endangered species declared by UNESCO, it is a bounty for eco-tourism.

The government decided to plan for a set up of a Waste Treatment Energy Plant in that forest area. The intention of the project is a great, eco friendly motive however; the area they decided to construct it is controversial. After all, it is a reserved forest.

If both these projects debate that their project is 100% damage and pollution free, then why do they not set it up in the town itself? Why can’t the CBWFT be set up near the Trivandrum Medical College? Same goes to the new proposal of the waste treatment plant.

EPRC has decided to take action against this. The locals are in our favor. We have decided to cut this off at the seed level; we decided to prevent them from making a fake EIA report. What the government has decided to do is completely illegal; the odds are in our path.

After this, we went to the Palode Ranges. It had been months since we have went there. And to our astonishment, our ca was held by the locals. They mistook us as the doctors of IMA and showed rage. We kept our calm and explained to them how we are in their support and that we presented cases against IMA. After a few minutes of protest, we showed them pictorial proofs. They suddenly remembered us and apologized for their misunderstanding.

We encouraged their protest and told them that it is a very necessary action that they are conducting. The locals are happy and are willing to move forward with heavy protests to save their land from the claws of deforestation. EPRC will work with them and support them till we win our case.

Now, you must be wondering how these locals were not able to remember us in spite of our efforts to work with them and to suspend the construction site before. We had a local with us in the car. He had a cold war with his cousin sister who called to arrange an angry local mob and we were new faces to them. Later on, the protest attracted many other locals who knew our identity came forward and stood for us. The mob was apologetic for their action.

The biggest positive point in this is that the villagers are taking this issue seriously. They want to engage with us and help us mutually. they are aware of the environmental hazards and are ready to prevent it with their dedicated protests.