Illegal Aranmula
Airport Project
Dr. K. V. Dominic
Introduction
One of the major anxieties the people of Kerala has been
going through for the past three months is the illegal airport project at
Aranmula. Kerala having three international airports has no necessity of a
fourth one in between Kochi and Trivandrum international airports. Aranmula is
136 kilometres from Kochi and 117 from Trivandrum. KGS group, a private real
estate and construction group consisting mainly of three billionaires—Kumaran,
Gigy and Shanmugham, backed by Reliance Anil Dhirubai Ambani Group and a few
other billionaire real estate groups managed to get sanction for the project
overcoming all obstacles from various departments through unprecedented illegal
foul means. To make things worse, the government of Kerala has taken 10% shares
of the company to facilitate the construction at the earliest. The project
needs minimum 700 acres (they are planning in future for an airport city which
requires 3000 acres) which are located in Arnamula and two other neighbouring
grama panchayats. Hundreds of acres of paddy fields and wet lands are to be
filled with the earth razed from four neighbouring hills. Moreover it will
affect the serenity, sanctity and rich heritage of the world famous Parthasarathy
temple which is only 200 metres near to the site. In protest of this looting of the State’s sustaining
bosom lands by the corporate mafia, indefinite satyagraha started at Aranmula on
10th February 2014 under Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council led by the great Malayalam poet and
environmentalist, Smt. Sugathakumari and
reputed social reformer, Shri. Kummanam Rajasekharan, just opposite to the site
and office of KGS international airport project. People from all
categories—politicians of all parties, trade unions, writers,
environmentalists, nature lovers, religious leaders and laymen, sanyasis,
farmers, government servants, merchants, labourers, students and pupils,
ex-service men and even soldiers are flooding in teams of a hundred and more for
the satyagraha every day from different taluks and panchayats of Kerala.
A brief history of the
project
A timber merchant named Abraham Kalamannil
bought hundreds of acres paddy fields and wet lands of Arnamula for his own Mount
Sion Group’s Aeronautical College in 2004 at a very cheap price of Rs. 100 and
Rs. 200 per cent. He filled those lands with earth without getting sanction
from the government departments. The government lands were also encroached by
him. Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU) staged protest against this
illegal filling. Later a small plane landed there for Mount Sion Aviation Club.
The local people never suspected that it was going to be an airport project
because they could never think of their government’s environmental department
giving sanction for it. Such is the richness, beauty and diversity of nature
and environment at Aranmula, besides the rich heritage of the place with the
world renowned Parthasarathy temple, Pamba river, holy groves, snake boats (palliyodangal) and their race etc. The
ministry of environment and forest granted the sanction for the project with
twenty conditions but has found very strangely that there are no wet lands in
Aranmula. The government deliberately ignored the findings and petitions of the
following groups: the great environmental scientist Prof. Madhav Gadgil, Biodiversity
chairman and Salim Ali Foundation member Dr. V. S. Vijayan, renowned Malayalam
poet Sugathakumari, Former Justice Shri. V. R. Krishna Iyer, nine MLAs of
environmental committee, 74 MLAs of Kerala Legislative Assembly, members of
various parliament committees, innumerable social workers, political leaders of
all various parties and above all the entire people of Arnamula. As per
government records in 2012, from Abraham Kalamannil and others, KGS Group
bought 268.54 acres. At present KGS Group has 362 acres of lands of which 50
acres of paddy fields and wet lands have been filled with the earth taken from
the neighbouring hills. From 1st January 2013 onwards KSKTU has been
protesting against the airport under a thatched shed built on the filled land.
KGS is a private business company
having its headquarters at Chennai. The company under the label ‘KGS Arnamula
Airport Limited’ is trying to construct a Greenfield airport on the vast lands
spreading over the grama panchayats of Mullappuzhassery, Arnamula and Kidangannoor
in Kozhancherry Taluk of Pathanamthitta District. The company in its
environmental studies as well as application papers submitted to the government
has mentioned that it needs only 500 acres of land for the project whereas in
its website the figure has gone to 700. It is very clear that an international
airport with a runway 2800x45 metres, car parking area for minimum 250 cars,
highways, terminal for passengers, hotels, shopping mall, apron for parking
planes, fire station, electricity station, drainage, drinking water source etc.
can’t be provided in 700 acres. It is to be genuinely doubted that the hidden
intention the KGS group is not the airport but the deal of lands and make
profit of billions.
Environmental, Social
and Economic Dangers of the Airport Project
Dr. V. S. Vijayan, the former chairman of the Kerala Biodiversity
Board as well as the member of Salim Ali Foundation Charitable Trust made a
thorough survey and study of the area meant for the airport project. After four
years of survey and study he submitted the report which cautioned the huge
crisis and great havoc the project can cause to the environment, economy and
society. For the comfortable flight of a few people 1417 hectres of paddy
fields and wet lands which yield annual income of Rs. 315-440 crores are to be
sacrificed. Kerala needs 45 lakh tons of rice per year whereas it produces only
6 lakh tons. The government shall never support destruction of the existing
paddy fields.
212 species of plants are found in
this area of which 27 are rare species found only in the Western Ghats. 110
species are herbal plants which yield great income. 88 of these herbal species
are found only in wet lands. 60 species of fishes are found in this area of
which 6.6% are endangered species and 5% fast ending species. 48% species get
high price in markets. 10% fishes are ornamental species. 35% of the fish
species migrate to the wet lands from the Pamba river taking it as hatchery.
There are 160 species of birds in these areas. 8 species are migrating birds of
which 2 are endangered ones.
The vast ocean of paddy fields and
wet lands spread over the villages of Mullappuzhassery, Arnamula, Kidangannoor,
Mezhuveli and Elanthoor is nature’s own means of averting flood in the Pamba.
This Pamba and the biodiversity on either side are the rich heritage of these
villages. These vast paddy fields and wet lands which save the people from the
disaster of flood during monsoon in the Pamba are the chosen lands for the
airport project. In September after the heavy monsoon, parent fishes along with
their fry come back from the wet fields to the Pamba. The water from the wet
lands and paddy fields of Mullappuzhassery, Arnamula and Kidangannoor flows to
the Pamba through the tributary Valiathod (also named Kozhithod). Since the
main part of this tributary was filled with earth for the airstrip, cultivation
in these paddy fields has become impossible. Thus 400 acres of fertile paddy
fields have been destroyed because of this airport project. Even if these wet
lands and paddy fields remain neglected and uncultivated, they act as source of
water in plenty in the wells, ponds and streams in Aranmula and neighbouring
villages. These wet lands preserve water as an oceanic reservoir during monsoon
and pumps to the Pamba when the water level goes down in summer. These wet
lands if turned to dry lands for the airport project, the heavy loss of
environment and biodiversity will amount to 35.48 and 47.31 crore rupees
respectively. If 400 acres of wet lands and paddy fields are filled and turned
dry lands it will affect 3500 acres of wetlands ultimately and the loss would
be from 314 to 419 crore rupees. If the paddy fields in the proposed airport
project (1457 hectres) are made cultivable, 7085 tons of paddy could be yielded
and thus can earn 21 crores per annum. Paddy cultivation needs only five months
and the rest of the year can be used for fish cultivation which will yield 11.
34 crores per year. The airport construction will affect 14.17 hectres of paddy
cultivation which can yield 335-440 crores per year.
Nearly 1000 houses are to be evicted
for the project and it will affect 3000 people. The price of land near Arnamula
temple has shot up from Rs. 5000 to 5 lakhs and 10 lakhs per cent now. An
ordinary man can never think of buying any strip of land for his shelter.
Threat to INS Garuda
The Ministry of Defence
objected to KGS’s proposal in 2010 on the ground that Greenfield Airport at Aranmula
would impose severe restrictions on the availability of airspace for conduct of
military flying at Naval Air Station INS Garuda at Kochi. But after a few days
the same ministry granted the Group permission.
Threat to Parthasarathy Temple
The Parthasarathy temple is world renowned for its unique
heritage and rituals. Palliyodams (snake
boats or chundan vallam) from 52
neighbouring karas (rustic parts) on the banks of the Pamba come to the temple
through the Pamba with the offerings for Lord Krishna. Valla sadya (grand feast to the rowers) for several days is another
beauty. The
water carnivals taking place at the temple include a boat race during the Onam
season. Snake boats from
39 karas take part in it. But if
Pamba’s flow is obstructed by the airport project these cultural and ritual
activities will disappear totally. The temple is only 200 meters near to the
airport cite and the Company has recommended in the proposal to lessen the
height of temple’s flagpole by six metres. As flagpole is not just a pole for
the flag but the spine and spirit of the temple, the devotees will never allow
it to be cut short.
Airport Company’s violations of government rules
The Airport Company of Aranmula has
violated the following laws of the central and state governments:
1. Environmental protection law
2. Kerala land reform law
3. Kerala land conservancy law
4. Kerala land conservation of paddy
land and wet land law
5. Indian penal code
6. Irrigation law
7. Anti-corruption law
8.
Kerala
land utilization order
But the Company could get clearance from all the departments
through foul means. On
2 April 2013, The National Green
Tribunal granted an interim stay on the project banning any construction at the
site. It also stayed the Kerala Government's order to convert the 500 acres of
land for industrial purpose until further orders. But the
airport project was given environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment
and Forests, New Delhi on 19 November 2013.
Conclusion
KGS Group, which is just a land and
construction mafia, could manipulate the central and State governments since
the governments are immersed in corruption. It is high time we examine if the
people of this country should promote such corrupt politicians and administrators
in the name highest democracy in the world. Our elected representatives in the
State and Central governments have no prick of conscience to betray us as well
as our mother land to such billionaire corporates and mafias who suck our
blood. Unless we are vigilant and resist such mass plunder through democratic
agitation methods, the future of our nation will be bleak and this God’s own
country will turn to devil’s own hell. We have been experiencing the torrid
heat caused by the irreparable loss to the Western Ghats. Another instance of
plunder by land, forest, quarry mafias supported by the government officials.
If we allow these vast paddy fields and wet lands to disappear, Kerala will
turn to a desert. God has created this earth not for a few rich human beings
but for all human race and other non-human beings. It is our duty to see that
this planet is a home for all creatures, and fighting for their right is
nothing but a divine duty. Let’s strive for it.
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