The Hindu Business Line : Devaswom Board to take up PAP projects after land allotment

THE Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is to implement the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan (PAP) projects under the National River Conservation Programme along with its own projects to be taken up soon for the development of Sabarimala after the Centre allots forest land for the purpose.

Speaking to Business Line on Monday, Mr G. Raman Nair, President, TDB, said that as required by the Union Government, the TDB has identified 305 acres of land in Sholayoor Panchayat in Attapady forest area in Palakkad district.

This stretch of land would be bought and handed over to the Forest Department in lieu of the 12.712 ha of land in Periyar Tiger Reserve at Pampa and surrounding area and 90 ha of land in Nilakkal to be allotted by the Centre to the Board for development of the Sabarimala pilgrim centre, he said.

A queue complex and toilet facilities among others are proposed to be built at Marakkoottam area about 3 km away from Sabarimala Sannidhanam for which 12.712 ha of forestland is needed. Since it is in the Periyar Tiger Reserve the allotment has to have the concurrence of the Supreme Court, he pointed out.

While in the case of Nilakkal, it is a rubber plantation currently held by the State Farming Corporation and hence there won't be any problem for handing over this land. The Board would be handing over the 305 acres of land against the forestland to be made available at both the locations. The cost of land at Nilakkal might be around Rs 9 lakh per ha, he said.

Negotiations are on with the owners of land in Attapady, he said. The Forest Department has been informed of its decision to buy the land, a green belt adjacent to the forest in the Attapady range.

They would be verifying the documents while the State Revenue Department has to fix the price, he said. The Forest Department would take up planting of trees in this stretch of land.

Already, afforestation is going on in the nearby area with Japanese aid, he said. The total cost of land here is estimated at around Rs 7 crore.

He said that Delhi-based consultants, Ecosmart, has already given a short-term development plan, which is under study and the Board wants to link it with the PAP project.

The National River Conservation Directorate under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has already approved the project involving an expenditure of Rs 18.45 crore and it has sanctioned the Centre's (70 per cent) share of Rs 12.90 crore.

The allocation is for carrying out 11 pollution abatement works at Sabarimala and Pampa.

Of these, the TDB would be implementing projects involving a cost of around Rs 16 crore at Sabarimala and Pampa under the PAP, he said.

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