Tourists shun visiting Pathiramanal as island left neglected by authorities

The Rs 549.61 lakh bio-park project intended for preserving Pathiramanal, on November 10, 2008 has not seen any progress due to environmental issues and protest from the part of the local people

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Pathiramanal, the picturesque island on Vembanad Lake, is slowly losing its charm. The island is in a bad shape with plastic waste and polluted water bodies. The place is stinking of garbage.

Pathiramanal (sands of night) is an island on the largest lake of the state. It is one of the main tourist spots in the district. The island, located at Muhamma grama panchayat, is around 20 km away from Alappuzha town.

Though the state had formally started work of the Rs 549.61 lakh bio-park project intended for preserving Pathiramanal, on November 10, 2008, it has not seen any progress as per a report in TOI by Sajimon P S.

According to state tourism minister A P Anil Kumar, environmental issues and protest from the part of the local people were creating hurdles. "But the tourism department has been directed to take adequate steps to solve the problems and get ahead with the project."

The state allotted the land of Pathiramanal on long-term lease to Oberoi Kerala Hotels and Resorts Limited and East India Hotels Limited for setting up a resort in 2000. But Kottayam Nature Society and two individuals Joseph Nedumpuram and Philip Mathew approached the Kerala high court to quash the decision saying the resort project would result in the destruction of the ecologically fragile Island. The high court on March 5, 2003 dismissed the petitions.

Following this Kottayam Nature Society and Joseph Nedumpuram filed petitions before the Supreme Court of India. The apex court in its common order on January10, 2006 had directed the state to take a fresh decision after hearing the representation of the petitioners and respondents.

After hearing the arguments of both the parties, the government on April 6, 2006 had ordered that the status quo of the island would be maintained until a decision is taken by the government on the utilization of its land based on the EIA study. Thus in 2007, KSBB was entrusted by the government for the EIA study.

However, before completing the EIA study of KSBB, the LDF government started to set up a bio-park in the island by violating the order of government and Supreme Court. In 2010, the KSBB submitted the EIA report to the state where it mentioned that no construction work should be allowed in the island.

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