Kannur: Acting on a directive from the Kerala High Court, efforts have begun to clear large quantities of construction debris and plastic waste illegally dumped in the Poruni fields and Kaippad wetlands under the Kunhimangalam panchayat. The illegal dumping had severely damaged the mangrove forests in these ecologically fragile areas.

The cleanup is being carried out by the landowner, following instructions from a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji. The court issued the order while hearing a petition filed by environmentalist P P Rajan, represented by advocate Mahesh V Ramakrishnan.

In its directive, the court ordered that all soil and construction waste deposited at the site be removed within three months from October 13. It also instructed that at least three mangrove saplings be planted for every mangrove tree destroyed during the dumping. The court also called for the establishment of a permanent monitoring mechanism to prevent any future destruction of this sensitive ecosystem.

Following the court’s directive, a meeting was convened at the Kunhimangalam panchayat office on November 1. The meeting was attended by officials from the Forest Department, the Tahsildar, village and panchayat staff, the agriculture officer, and the panchayat president and vice president, among others. It was decided that the waste removal work would commence by November 8, and operations have now begun accordingly.

Forest Department official K V Shijin, Village Assistant T P Raveendranath, and panchayat staff members Satheesan Pulookkal and P V Manoj Kumar gave directions for the clearing activities. Environmentalist P P Rajan, along with P M Balakrishnan, V V Suresh, K V Naveen Kumar, and Nettoor Narayanan, also took part in the proceedings.