Environmentalists oppose forest land takeover for Wayanad Medical College

Wayanad: The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (WPSS) has opposed the state government's proposal to take over 11.2778 hectares (28 acres) of forest land at Ambukuthi near Mananthavady for the permanent campus of the medical college. It is currently functioning at the upgraded Wayanad District Hospital in Mananthavady.

Earlier, land had been identified at Boys Town in north Wayanad, about 12 km from Mananthavady. However, the proposal became stuck in a legal dispute. There were also allegations that the site was chosen at the northern end of the district instead of the originally proposed site at Kalpetta, which is centrally located.

In a press release, WPSS president N Badusha urged the government to withdraw the forest land takeover proposal. He alleged that the land identified to compensate for the forest area at Puthur near Sulthan Bathery (8.97 hectares) and Appad (2.3 hectares) had already been handed over to the Forest Department and afforested, making the compensation claim misleading.

He said the lands were earlier acquired under the Rebuild Kerala rehabilitation scheme, where farmers vacated their holdings due to wildlife threats.

Badusha also claimed that a private trust had earlier handed over 50 acres at Madakkimala near Kalpetta for the medical college project. Timber worth several crores was cut and removed from the land before the project was shifted, citing safety concerns, he alleged.

He further stated that large areas of plantation and leased land are available in the district and could be used instead of forest land. WPSS has urged the Kerala Forest Department and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change not to approve the proposal.

The state government has not yet responded to the allegations.