Plea to stop reclamation of pond

[Palakkadtourism.org]

PALAKKAD: `Janajagratha' (people's vigilance) has appealed to the
district administration to stop the reclamation of Mathappakulam pond
in the New Market area of Big Bazar.

It alleged that a real estate business group was undertaking the
reclamation in violation of the orders of the Sub-Division Magistrate
and the District Magistrate.

In a statement on Monday, Janajagratha secretary P.S. Panikkar said
reclamation of one-third area of the pond had led to waterlogging in
many parts of the town during rain.

When there was an attempt to reclaim the pond last year, the Revenue
Divisional Officer and the Additional District Magistrate issued an
order against it on April 22, 2005.

The order stopped "further filling of pond and to restore the status
quo ante so as to abate public nuisance such as damages to eco-system,
environment and depletion of water level in the area."

The statement said more than a dozen ponds in the town had been
reclaimed in the last five years. This prompted the then District
Collector Sanjeev Kaushik to issue an order on March 8, 2004, banning
the reclamation of ponds in the district. Despite these orders, the
reclamation of Mathappakulam pond was going on, the statement said.

Regards,
Palakkad
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