The Hindu Business Line : Travancore Devaswom to pay Rs 6.4 crore for afforestation

THE Travancore Devaswom Board, which controls and administers around 2,000 temples in Kerala - including the Sabarimala Ayyappa shrine - will pay Rs 6.4 crore to the Forest Department towards the cost of afforestation of 305 acres.

The TDB President, Mr G. Raman Nair, told Business Line that a decision to this effect was be taken by the board at its meeting in Thiruvananthapuram today. The formal handing over of 110.52 hectares at Nilakkal, near Pampa, by State Farming Corporation (SFC) will be held on June 16.

A master plan for developing this area as the main transit camp with all modern amenities and facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims would be prepared by Ecosmart, a Delhi-based company, he added.

In lieu of the land, the board has to purchase and hand over 305 acres to the Forest Department. The board already has four offers from private parties.

As the land held by the SFC is a rubber plantation, the afforestation cost has come down to Rs 5.8 lakh a hectare against Rs 9.2 lakh in the case of any forestland, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, has indicated that revenue land measuring the required extent was available with the Revenue Department, which could be bought and handed over to the Forest Department.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department has asked the TDB to approach the Supreme Court for securing the release of 12.67 hectares of forestland from the Periyar Tiger Reserve at Marakoottam area for constructing a `Q' complex and other facilities, including health care units for pilgrims.

Construction would be done in such a way that all the forest trees are retained. Besides, use of cement would be restricted to the plinth area, Mr Nair said.

Construction of permanent structures in Sabarimala area and Nilakkal will be strictly according to the master plan and will be eco-friendly, he added.

Most of the projects to be implemented under the first phase of the Pampa Action Plan included in the National River Conservation Programme (NECP) fall under the jurisdiction of the TDB. They will be taken up by the board once the allotment of 12.67 hectares is cleared by the apex court, he said.

In fact, the Buta Singh Committee, which had visited Sabarimala some time back, had suggested handing over of 500 hectares for the development of Sabarimala by de-linking the area from the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Mr Nair said.

"Ecosmart had been entrusted with the preparation of the master plan for the overall development of Sabarimala, which includes Nilakkal. Its experts have been visiting and conducting studies in the area for the past four pilgrimage seasons. They are aware of the requirements of the pilgrims."

Ecosmart will be supervising the implementation of all projects, Mr Nair added.

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