Eviction process continues in Kollam, Alappuzha

Adjacent southern districts of Kollam and Alappuzha witnessed official efforts to evict encroachers from public land and for serving notices to encroachers asking them to vacate on their own on Thursday. Such activities were seen in almost all parts of Kollam district. In Alappuzha this was mostly concentrated on the banks of Vembanad backwaters where encroachments had taken place in the name of tourism.

After complaints from environmental activists about encroachments, Revenue Divisional Officer PK Gopalan visited the Muttara Maruthimala near Oyoor in Kollam district. Maruthimala Haritha Samithi, a group of environmental activists, who had been waging a war against illegal quarrying and encroachments, had lodged a complaint with the authorities seeking immediate action against encroachers.

The RDO said prima facie evidence led to the conclusion that about seven acres of land had been encroached. He said the extent of encroachment could be assessed only after further examinations. This is one of the largest encroachments in the district after the ones on Ashtamudi Lake.

As per a 1978 survey by the Revenue Department, Maruthimala had extended to an area of 400 acres. A 2001 survey found that this had been reduced to 78 acres. The hillock had further shrunk to a mere 25 acres.

The Forests Department has asked Revenue officials for the details regarding Maruthimala. Maruthimala was chosen for developing into an important eco-tourism spot in Kollam after Thenmala. Considering this, the Forests Department had allotted Rs 40,000 to plant 1,200 trees in the area. But the project has not been implemented so far. In Punalur Municipal limits, a 48-hour notice was served for vacating about 5.40 acres of rubber.

Though the Vattakkayal Lake and surrounding areas had been evacuated by the Revenue Department, the biggest encroachment in the district, on the Ashtamudi Lake, are waiting for the decisive action from the district authority.

In Alappuzha, Revenue officials concentrated on the areas surrounding the Vembnad Lake, from where complaints of large-scale encroachments, including reclamation of the water body, had come up. Officials had already given notice to the famous Punnamada Resorts for razing the illegal constructions, and on Thursday, the resort owners themselves were seen removing the structures.

When the officials reached the spot, the resort management was on its own razing two resorts, which included swimming pools constructed on encroached lake-land. There were allegations that Thomas Chandy MLA from Kuttanand had encroached the water body adjacent to his Lake palace resort in the area.