Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode: The number of structures and houses have been found to be substantially lower in some panchayats in the field verification launched to demarcate human habitations around wildlife sanctuaries and to ensure more precision. In some other panchayats, the number has gone up.

In these circumstances, there are anxieties over which of the reports the Forest department would submit in the court on the issue of ecologically sensitive zones.

Kerala has decided to request the Supreme Court for three more months to submit other reports after submitting the preliminary report on the satellite survey when the court considers the case on January 11.

However, after the number of constructions was found to be lower in the field verification, the State government is in a dilemma over the related reports.

In the satellite survey, the number of constructions and houses in human habitations was 49,330. The public and farmers’ organizations had said that the number would cross 2 lakh if a physical inspection of the areas is made. In this context, concerns have been raised over the field verification in some panchayats.

The report of the Forest department says that ecologically sensitive zones are located mostly in 85 panchayats in Kerala. Field verification under the aegis of the Forest-Revenue-Local Self-Government departments began in over half the number of these panchayats two days ago.

The reduction in the number of structures was found in 7 panchayats spread over 5 districts.

The final picture will be clear only after the manual inspection is completed in other panchayats also.

Meanwhile, the number of structures in the ecologically sensitive zones in Chakkittapara panchayat in Kozhikode district has risen more than three-fold.

While the satellite survey found 600 structures, it rose to 2,104 in the physical inspection. In Koorachund in the same district, the report of the satellite survey had said that there are 1,800 structures. But in the manual inspection, the number went down to 1,200.

Lower numbers at three places in Idukki
Panchayats where lower number of structures was found in field verification, number of complaints in brackets.

Thiruvananthapuram – Kuttichal (851)

Idukki – Kanchiyar (1,461), Arakkulam (1,261), Mariapuram (842)

Palakkad – Thiruvilwamala (916)

Kannur – Kelakam (1,084)

Kozhikode – Koorachund (1,200)