Wayanad: The Padinjarathara panchayat has renewed its demand for the Irrigation Department to release a portion of its land to facilitate much-needed town development. Specifically, the civic body has requested roughly half of a prime 2.5-acre plot located right next to the bus stand.

Acquired three decades ago for the Banasura Sagar Irrigation Project, the land was originally meant for project offices and staff quarters. Today, however, the fast-growing town is reeling under severe spatial constraints, with escalating crowds and chronic traffic snarls showing no signs of easing. Local authorities stress that securing adequate land in the town center is vital to getting several key developmental initiatives off the ground.

The severe lack of space also takes a heavy toll on tourists traveling to major destinations like the Banasura Sagar Dam. Compounding the issue, the revenue generated from dam tourism goes directly to the state government, offering no tangible benefit to the panchayat. Meanwhile, the town-centric irrigation project itself remains in limbo, with all work stalled. Pointing out that this departmental land is simply lying idle, the panchayat insists it should be repurposed for public interest.

The local body estimates that utilizing this land to expand the bus stand and establish organized parking facilities would effectively untangle the town's recurring traffic bottlenecks. Moving forward with the plan, panchayat authorities have already called on the ministers concerned and formally submitted a memorandum seeking the land transfer.