Most of the complaints that the department receives from across the state
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KOZHIKODE: The state’s environment department, which handles several ecologically sensitive issues and monitors projects that could damage the environment, has only four technical experts. It has no regional offices and operates with a thin 19-member staff, including two secretaries, two office attenders and a driver. As a result, most of the complaints that the department receives from across the state on hazardous projects go unattended.
When it gets a complaint from Kasargod, a technical staff from the state capital has to go in person. Given the magnitude of complaints received by the department, that becomes humanly impossible and the complaint is usually swept under the carpet.
Ideally the department should have five regional offices. “I have now asked the government to start at least three regional offices and to augment the staff strength,” state environment director C.S. Yalakki told DC. The department regularly gets complaints regarding illegal mining and quarrying and other activities.
“We get a lot of complaints mostly from far off districts. It’s difficult for us to reach there,” he said. Meanwhile, sources said the political leadership was not keen on strengthening the department and does not want to have a negative impact on the projects that are progressing in the state.
“The quarry, mining and the real estate lobbies have strong political connections,” a senior official said. “The government delayed reconstitution of the environment impact assessment authority for quite long and in the meantime hundreds of quarries got no objection certificates. They know a stronger department means more trouble for them”.
( Source : dc )
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