Kollam lakes face rampant encroachment

If encroachments in the mist clad hills of Munnar were used to build tourist resorts, encroachments along Kollam lakes are being used for a very different purpose. Important lakes in the district still remain scenes of rampant encroachment despite numerous complaints to the authorities by environmental activists and local residents. Most surveys and actions initiated by the authorities have ended midway or have proved ineffective so far.

Even a strict order by none other than the Principal Revenue Secretary could not save the Vattakkayal lake at Saktikulangara here. The order banning encroachments and construction was issued on April 19, but this has not deterred those who are reclaiming the lake for their personal use.

The encroachments began after the Government passed an order leasing twelve acres of land for paddy cultivation to three persons. The lease stipulated that the Government could take back the land if the recipients failed to cultivate paddy for twelve consecutive years.However, paddy was never cultivated on the land, according to local residents. After several years, illegal occupants obtained title deeds for the land.

After several complaints from the Vattakkayal Lake Protection Council, a survey was conducted by former Revenue Commissioner Alphonse Kannanthanam. He recommended immediate cancellation of the title deeds. But the occupants approached the Kerala High Court and got a stay on the order. According to a study conducted by the Lake Protection Council, 39.40 acres of land had been illegally occupied by 39 people .On September 23, 2006 the Vatttkkayal Lake Protection Council lodged a complaint with the Revenue Department citing the developments.
On this complaint, the Land Revenue Commissioner conducted an enquiry. After assessing the gravity of the problem, he conduced a public hearing at the District Collectorate. An order was passed entrusting the District Collector with the task of ensuring that no fresh encroachments or illegal constructions took place in the area.

But even after the ban had come into existence, people continued to hand over the land to others and construction of concrete walls and other works continued unimpeded.
The Vattakkkayal Lake Protection Council complains that the authority is also equally responsible for the whole problem. Despite the ban on construction, the Kollam Corporation authorised the building of a wall in the area, they claim.

If Vattakkayal Lake is an example of the utter disregard for Government directives, the case of Ashtamudi is far more complicated. Large-scale encroachments by tourist resort mafia and other influential persons had already pushed the internationally-protected lake to a near extinction. The Government, which was responsible for protecting the water body, had neglected it for so long. The result is that the 54-acre lake has been reduced to a mere 36 acres.
Pollution and illegal fishing are also causing problems to the lake . After repeated media reports, a survey was conducted at the directive of then District Collector B Srinivas. As many as 2,000 cases were registered in its wake.

But even after a year, the re-survey is yet to be completed. The tehsildar for the concerned taluk said that action on the 2,000 registered cases would start immediately.

The district fisheries authority has removed the branches and leaves deposited by traditional and local fishermen to help reproduction of fish in the lake, but no concrete action against the Chinese nets had so far been taken.