Displaced once by dam construction, 50 tribal families in Wayanad fear relocation again over airstrip plan; paddy fields at risk

Kalpetta: The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithy (WPSS) has urged the state government to abandon the proposed airstrip at Cheekkallur near Meenangadi, warning that the project could destroy extensive paddy fields, threaten water resources and displace nearly 50 tribal families who had already been relocated during the Karapuzha Dam project.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the environmental organisation opposed the proposal to develop an airstrip on the nearly 500-acre Cheekkallur paddy tract under Panamaram grama panchayat. It said the project would damage one of Wayanad’s largest contiguous paddy-growing areas and undermine the livelihoods of local farming communities.

The Samithy warned that raising the low-lying land by nearly 6.5 metres using thousands of truckloads of soil could disrupt natural drainage, damage the wetland ecosystem and affect the Cherupuzha, a tributary of the Kabani River. Such changes could worsen water scarcity and reduce agricultural productivity in the surrounding areas, it said.

The organisation also expressed concern over the possible displacement of nearly 50 tribal families who had previously been relocated from areas affected by the Karapuzha Dam project. A second displacement could further disrupt their traditional livelihoods, social networks and access to natural resources, turning them into what the Samithy described as “developmental refugees”.

In a statement, the organisation alleged that the project was being promoted through a nexus involving real estate interests, a minister from the district and the Wayanad Chamber of Commerce. It questioned the benefits the proposed airstrip would bring to the district and alleged that the concerns of farmers and local communities were being ignored.

The state government had earlier cleared proposals for four airstrip sites in Wayanad — Variyad, Cheekkallur, Karappuzha and Chelode. Construction of the proposed airstrip at Karappuzha has already begun.

Recalling protests against the Cheekkallur proposal around a decade ago, the Samithy said then Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had visited the site and directed that the project be put on hold. It also alleged that reviving the proposal would violate the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules.

The organisation said the area under paddy cultivation in Wayanad had dwindled to nearly 10% of its former extent, making the preservation of the Cheekkallur tract particularly important.

Instead of acquiring and filling the paddy fields, the Samithy urged the government to examine alternative sites, including plantation land. It pointed out that nearly 16,000 acres of plantation land were under consideration and claimed that the High Court and the Supreme Court had upheld the government's ownership of the land, with plantation companies retaining cultivation rights.

The Samithy called on the authorities to assess the legal status and suitability of such alternatives before proceeding with the project. It also warned that it would join hands with farmers to oppose the proposal and protect the paddy fields and their associated ecosystem.