ALAPPUZHA: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) is holding an evening dharna here on Thursday, the World Water Day, against diluting Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act 2008.
The CPM-dominated group popularising science says the LDF government’s ordinance allowing to fill ten cents of paddy land goes against its manifesto.
KSSP district committee's resolution cites the manifesto as saying, “the Act would not be watered down, and data bank would be published within six months.”
Many expected something substantial to come from the government to protect paddy fields, it feels, but so far it's disappointing.
Planning Board data shows the wetland had shrunk by 13 percent and the paddy production by 21 percent. "This data is quite worrisome," it says.
The government has permitted levelling paddy lands, even those in the databank, for commercial and housing purposes accepting half the fair value as a fee.
The ordinance is silent on the number of times one can do it for building a house, and on unnotified paddy land, it says demanding its withdrawal.
The unanimous resolution also says Kerala has lost vast tracts of wetlands to big projects like luxurious hotels, starred hospitals, and apartment complexes.
"This danger was invited by the previous governments as a result of their (wrong) priorities and unscientific model of development," it says.
